


Merry Christmas, Darling

by Rinniebee



Series: The seasons are four perfect movements in harmony [3]
Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Family, Humor, Jess and Rory have more kids now!, Logan asks Jess for personal advice... Jess is very annoyed, Unconventional Families
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-08 03:50:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8829361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinniebee/pseuds/Rinniebee
Summary: A series of christmas fics set in my Literati AU "The Seasons Are Four Perfect Movements In Harmony". Each ficlet will take place in a different year. I'm just in the Christmas spirit and enjoy exploring this world I've created, so feel free to come along for the ride!





	1. Meet The Parents

**Author's Note:**

> This first ficlet takes place sixteen years after 'A Cascade of Snowflakes'. Shout out to my friend Kaity for the prompt! I hope you guys like this one, and I hope you like older!Ricci as much as you like younger!Ricci. Not to mention, I hope you enjoy the sprinkling of Hayden and Vivi. You'll get to know them a little better later on as well. 
> 
> Anyway, don't forget to subscribe to the "The Seasons Are Four Perfect Movements In Harmony" series if you'd like to stay on top of any updates I make to this universe!

**I. DECEMBER 24** ** TH ** **2032**

Ricci could tell from the way that her father was staring out the town car window that he wasn’t happy. His jaw was clenched in that way that made his vein pop, and had she not been terrified of the idea that _maybe_ his anger was directed at her then she would’ve leaned forward and poked it. Instead she stayed quiet, chewing on her lower lip—a habit she’d picked up from her mom, apparently—and kept a firm hold on Oliver’s hand.

She knew that Dad probably didn’t like her dating.

She knew that Dad probably didn’t like that he didn’t know she was dating.

And she knew that Dad probably really, really, didn’t like it that her _other_ Dad knew all about it.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and tried to give Oliver a reassuring smile when his big brown eyes asked her without a doubt if everything was okay. He nodded once, strong and silent, stroked the back of her hand with her thumb and then looked away. Ricci focused on the beautiful scenery of New York in the evening, the city lights illuminating the annual holiday decorations found on every lamp post and store face.

She’d missed this city, honestly. Providence could be pretty but nothing beat New York or Philly. She’d told Oliver that Center City in Philadelphia was on par with Manhattan, but he’d looked at her funny. He’d never been to Center City but she was determined to take him. There was no way he could live in ignorance about her primary home for so long.

“So, Ollie,” Dad spoke up, finally breaking the silence and Oliver jolted in Ricci’s hold. Her dad’s voice was dripping with condescension, just his use of the nickname ‘Ollie’ spelled out trouble. She squeezed Oliver’s hand but turned to look at her father, letting her eyes come into focus on him; she tried to give him her best withering stare but Dad just ignored her, of course. “You’re from New York, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Mr. Huntzberger is fine.”

Ricci rolled her eyes. “Dad, c’mon,” she warned.

Dad laughed, but it was fake—she knew, she always knew. “Okay, okay. Logan, then. Call me Logan.”

“I think I’d like to stick with Mr. Huntzberger.”

Dad raised his eyebrows, a genuine smile flitted to his lips ever so briefly before disappearing. “Good man. So, what’s your favourite part of the city? Where’d you grow up? Rory’s other dad, Jess, is also from the city. Looks like you two may have something in common, or, have you met already? God, it’s hard to keep up. He sees her much more than I do, after all.”

 _Low blow,_ Ricci thought.

“Ah… Um, I grew up in Manhattan—Koreatown, mostly. I know I look Black for the most part, but yeah, my dad is, well—he’s Korean. I actually recognize this part of the city pretty well,” Oliver said, looking out the window.

“Cool. Rory’s friend Lane is Korean. Have you met her?”

Ricci rolled her eyes. “He knows, Dad. I told him, and no, he hasn’t met Lane. He hasn’t met Dad or Mom yet either, okay? You’re the first! Mom and Dad don’t even know I have a boyfriend right now. I planned on introducing you all to Oliver tonight at once, but you get to meet him first so you win, I guess.”

“Okay, Okay. Sorry. Didn’t know it was a sore spot,” Dad grinned in that way that reminded her of a shark, he put his hands up in surrender as the car came to a rolling stop in front of the ridiculously tall and expensive looking condo building. “Well, we’re home. Ricci, I need you to go straight to your room and change. Odette has a theme for the christmas party tonight, your dress is laying out on your bed. She has a tie for Ollie here, too. Of course, we didn’t know he was coming so Odette had to scramble but luckily one of our guests cancelled and she had an extra laying around. You do have a suit packed with you, don’t you Ollie?”

“Dad—“

“Ah,” Dad held up his hand, “no arguing. You knew the deal before I picked you up from the airport.”

Ricci stewed in that that a couple of beats, and then she sighed, letting her shoulders and back deflate. “I know. I wasn’t going to argue,” she lied, accepting defeat, “I was just going to say thank you for coming to get us from the airport yourself. You didn’t have to.”

Dad shrugged, his brown eyes completely serious. “I wanted to. You’re my daughter.”

“I know,” Ricci said, softening completely, “I just wanted to say I love you and thank you.”

Finally, the tension between them seemed to dissolve and Dad smiled, soft and light and in that way he reserved just for her. “I love you too, Kiddo. Now c’mon, let’s go upstairs and get you changed before your step mother has a fit.”

 

* * *

 

The drive to Manhattan was ridiculous. Jess was could feel the tension building in his shoulders the moment they hit traffic, which was compounded by his two youngest kid arguing in the back seat the entire way. Beside him, Rory rubbed her temples with the pads of her fingers and groaned.

“Just move your bag from my side, why is that so hard?! It smells!” Vivi complained.

“Oh please, it does not smell!” Hayden said, and Jess could hear himself in his sons voice, they had the same deep tone; Hayden may have only been fourteen, but puberty had come pretty early for him. “You didn’t have a problem with it when you were eating all my food.”

“Well, it’s done now, so your shitty, stinky bag holds no purpose over here!”

“Hey!” Jess reproved, looking at Vivi through the rearview mirror. “Cut it out, Vi. You’re too young to be using that kind of language.”

“I’m going to be Thirteen in January, Daddy!”

“Yeah,” Hayden said with a snort, “and you still call him _Daddy_. You’re such a baby.”

Vivi gasped at the insult and Jess heard a loud _THWACK_ just as he focused his eyes back on the road.

“Mom! She hit me! Your crazy, deluded child HIT ME! She could’ve broken my nose, or worse, blinded me! Why don’t you EVER punish her?! She just gets away with everythi— STOP FUCKING HITTING ME, VI!”

Rory groaned again, this time much louder than before and dragged her hands down her face and let her head rest back against the car seat. “You see? This is why I said no more road trips…”

Jess sighed but found himself nodding agreement; the kids were still fighting in the back, but they sounded far away to him now. “A twelve-year-old and a fourteen-year-old are not good carpooling buddies… Who knew.”

“We should’ve just cancelled. Skipped the whole Huntzberger bash and had Ricci fly out to us on Christmas day.”

“Wasn’t that my original suggestion?” Jess asked, glancing over at his wife with a small smirk.

Rory glared at him, but it melted into a smile. “Shut up. It was you who promised to go to every Huntzberger holiday event to make up for the one year you didn’t go.”

“Wait,” Hayden said, finally done yelling at his sister. He leaned forward against the back of Jess’ chair, and his fingers barely grazed Jess’ shoulders as they curled around the fabric of the seat. “Dad never went to a Huntzberger holiday party?” He laughed, sardonic and eerily similar to Jess’ own. Sometimes it freaked Jess out how similar they were. “Oh, I bet Odette just _loved_ that.”

“I like Odette! She’s so pretty!” Vivi chimed in, voice happy and peppy as if she hadn’t been fighting a war just a few moments ago.

Jess took a deep breath and practically sighed through his nose. If anyone had ever told him that _his_ daughter, Victoria Emily Mariano, would grow up to worship the her Royal Majesty, Odette Huntzberger, well, he would’ve asked to be shot in the face so he didn’t have to live to see it. Dramatic? Hardly. Rory put her hand on his shoulder as if reading his mind, she rubbed in small, tight circles but she didn’t say a word. She didn’t have to.

“Are we almost there? I’m getting bored and my legs are cramping from sitting for so long.”

“Yes, we’re almost there, H,” Rory said, twisting in her seat to smile at him.

“Good,” their son muttered. “Can’t be stuck in this car anymore with her.”

“What was that?!” Vivi asked, and Jess and Rory groaned in unison this time. “Maybe I can’t be stuck with you!”

Jess almost cried tears of joy when they finally made it into the city.

 

* * *

 

“Mom! Dad! You made it!” Ricci called out to them from the top of the stairs.

Rory felt the incessant sting at the back of her eyes as her eldest descended toward them in a beautiful ice blue designer dress that just barely swept across the floor as the walked. There was a long, asymmetrical slit that stopped a little higher than Ricci’s left thigh and showed off beautiful white pointed-toe stilettos. Her daughter’s thick, light brown hair was swept up off her neck into an effortless, but (somehow) chic looking ponytail to show off her bare shoulders and collar bones. Her make up was light and natural looking, but that was always the way Rory had preferred her anyways.

“Ricci, you look beautiful!” Rory gushed, suddenly missing her own youth. Her daughter had started to look like her more and more with age, though Ricci was definitely an upgraded version. “That dress is fantastic! One of Odette’s picks?”

Ricci huffed before leaning in to hug her mother, when she pulled away she rolled her eyes. “Of course it’s one of her picks. I’d never wear this. I mean, it’s nice, but it’s not my style.”

“Huh. I thought the same thing,” Jess said, voice light and teasing. “Doesn’t hold a candle to that all-black aesthetic.”

Ricci grinned at her father, so wide Rory thought her cheeks must’ve been hurt. “God, it is so good to see you,” Ricci practically squealed, rushing into Jess’ arms with a fervour that Rory had long stopped being jealous of. “How have you been? How’s Truncheon? How’re Matt and Chris? How’s the anthology of short stories coming? Ugh, I read Blackest Night and—chills, Dad! I got CHILLS.”

“Whoa, slow down!” Jess joked, holding his head as if to steady himself.

Ricci only smiled and bounced in her heels, blue eyes bright and waiting for an answer.

“I’m good—you should know that already, you Facetime me every week. Truncheon’s good, the third expansion out in California went well. Matt’s loving the sun. Chris is good, too. He likes it here in New York, he’s still shocked I decided to stay in Philly rather than move back home, but,” Jess shrugged, and Rory grinned into her champagne at his bashfulness. Somethings never changed. “I like it where I am. I built my family in Philly, it’s just…” He trailed off and Ricci and Rory both nodded, understanding completely. There were just some things that were better left unsaid.

“Well, I’m glad things are good with you. I don’t expect you to thank me for the compliment on Blackest Night because I know that’s not your _style,_ but it really _is_ good, Dad. Your best yet. I almost let Oliver read it, but I decided to keep it to myself. Some things are sacred.”

“Oliver?” Rory and Jess asked at the same time, and Ricci nodded rapidly.

“Yeah, Oliver! He’s my boyfriend. Dad’s already met him… He’s around here somewhere…” She said, looking around, but when she didn’t find him in under five seconds she gave up with a loose shrug. “You’ll meet him eventually. I’m sure Dad whisked him off to meet some of his business partners or something. You know how he likes to brag.”

“Boyfriend?” Jess asked, brow wrinkled in confusion and Rory tried to ignore the tight, nauseous feeling in her gut. “I thought you were a lesbian.”

It took everything in Rory not to smack Jess upside the head. Her husband was not going to be winning any tact awards in the future.

“No, Dad,” Ricci said, giggling, and Rory was just thankful that she wasn’t offended, then again Ricci hardly ever was. “I’m bi. Don’t worry, I won’t hold you not knowing against you. I do greatly prefer women to men, it just happened to turn out that it takes a really special kind of guy to me interested. So, Oliver is the first. He should be honoured, really, because I still hate men. Except for you, of course.” Ricci fluttered her long, mascara coated eyelashes at Jess, but then she wrinkled her nose before she added, “and Dad… and Hayden, Grandpa, and now Oliver. But that’s it, I swear! I hate the rest of them.”

Jess smirked, his hands resting in his pockets. “Yeah, baby, I believe you.”

“Now, where are the brats?” Ricci asked, though she didn’t look around. “Is Hayden still under the belief that he’s Holden Caulfield?”

“He’s fourteen and just read Salinger for the first time,” Rory explained, carefully placing her arm around Ricci’s shoulder and bringing her flush to her side. “If he’s anything like your father he’ll think he’s Holden until he’s nineteen _at least._ ”

Ricci leaned back to glance at Jess. “What do you have to say for yourself, Mister?”

“I think I was always more of a Kerouac than a Caulfield.”

Rory laughed, bold and bright while Ricci shook her head and tsked.

“I think that’s worse Dad, I think that’s worse.”

 

* * *

 

“Jess!” Logan called out to him in the middle of the party. He clasped his hand firmly on his shoulder. “Come have a drink with me in the study? It’s quieter.”

Jess carefully turned in Logan’s grip, careful not to move too fast. He smiled, politely, as usual and nodded. “Sure. Just let me find Rory first.”

“Aaah!” Logan waved that away with the lazy swing of his wrist. “No need. If she needs you she can come find us. We won’t be far.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it. He could already smell the alcohol on Logan’s breath, and they’d had more than one argument while under the influence, all of them the definition of _making a scene_. He sucked it up with a deep breath, scanned the room and found Hayden by the refreshment table alone. When he and Logan walked past it to reach the study, Jess reached out for his sons attention and nodded his head toward the room. “Tell your mother I’m in there if she asks where I am, okay?”

Hayden nodded, loading up his plate with a few christmas cookies. “Okay.”

When they got into the room, Logan closed the heavy wooden door behind them and gestured for Jess to take a seat on the couch. He brought them two glasses of whiskey, said he got it from India on a business trip and that they made theirs out of molasses. Jess didn’t mind the taste, found it smooth and fruity but with a pinch of heat. It was rich and delicious, which made it dangerous, so Jess sipped slowly. He wouldn’t be driving again, the hotel they’d booked was just a block from here, but he didn’t want to be stumbling in the street and embarrassing his family.

“So, Jess. It’s been a while. Ricci’s older now, we don’t really see each other anymore except for at Ricci’s things…”

“Isn’t that the way it’s always been?” Jess asked, careful not to offend.

Logan shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. But I thought we became friends at some point, you know? When Ricci was fifteen, that was a good year for us.”

“That was also the year you tried to get Rory back.”

“Yeah,” Logan winced. “I know… I really am sorry about that, Jess, honestly. I was in a bad place, Odette and I weren’t doing well and…” He sighed. “There’s no excuse. My therapist says I have to stop making excuses for everything I do.”

Jess shrugged, taking another sip of his drink so he wouldn’t have to say anything, like how he agreed with Logan’s therapist, and how it was about time he’d started seeing one.

“Look,” Logan sighed. “Things with Ricci and I are… strained. I see how she is with you, I’ve always seen it. Since she was six months old she preferred you but… I just want to be there for my daughter and I feel like I know nothing about her. Half my guests are out there discussing how Ricci’s _into girls_. I didn’t even _know_ that about her, man. How did I not know that?”

 _Because you don’t pay attention_ , Jess thought, but he just took another silent sip.

“I want to fix things with Ricci, be a better father to both my kids and a better husband to Odette. I want to be a better friend to you and to Rory—well, maybe not to Rory, I don’t know.”

“Definitely not to Rory,” Jess said without a waiting a beat.

Logan nodded. “Yeah, no, of course. I fucked that up, what am I saying? I just want things to go back to the way they were.”

“How?”

“I don’t know! That’s why I’m here, asking you!”

“I’m not your therapist, Logan.”

Logan groaned, sinking down into the couch cushions with his hands covering his face. “I know that, Jess.” He removed his hands and let his head loll to the side as he looked on, brown eyes glazed over. “I just… I fucked up everything, you know? Yeah, I fixed things with Odette and Max seems happier than before, and at least Ricci is talking to me now but… I don’t know. I thought I stopped being this person. This horrible, self-destructive, selfish person… but I guess that’s just who I am at my core.”

“Are you trying to get me to feel sorry for you?” Jess asked, scrutinizing the man beside him with slightly narrowed eyes.

“Why? Is it working?”

“No.”

Logan sighed. “Oh.”

“Look, if you want to fix the shit you fucked up then you have to take responsibility. That’s all there is to it. I can’t be the one to give you a pep talk. I’ve fucked up too, I still fuck up every single day, but I own those mistakes and I make the strides to be a better man.”

“That’s why Rory chose you over me.”

Jess took another sip of his whiskey. “Yeah, maybe.” _Probably._

“You’re a good man, Jess. A good father. I’m envious. I always said I didn’t want to be my father, but…” He laughed darkly. “Guess that ship has sailed, huh?”

“You are not your father,” Jess said firmly. 

“Yeah? How do you know? I’m sure Rory would disagree.”

Jess placed his drink down hard on the glass coffee table, but he was buzzing too loud care about the _CLINK!_ it made or the way Logan winced at the sound. “She wouldn’t agree, and you know how I know? Because I’m married to her, and whether I like it or not, you’re apart of our lives and have been since before I married her, so you’re often a topic of discussion. You may be a shit person, Logan, and yeah, I’m confident enough to say that to your face now after _twenty years plus_ of knowing your ass, but I know damn well that you are not your father.

“Do you remember when Max was nine and Odette called us in the middle of the night because he had appendicitis and she didn’t know what to do? When we finally got ahold of you, even though you were on business in fucking Dubai, you cancelled every single meeting you had to fly home for your kids surgery—even though it was a routine surgery and you knew he’d be fine. You almost died in Costa Rica and your dad didn’t come until Rory ripped him into fucking shreds about it. So, no, Logan, you are not your father, just like I am not my father. We are not bound to be the people who did or didn’t raise us. We are who we want to be. So, if you want to be a better husband, father and friend then the onus is on _you_.”

“Wow,” Logan said, his eyes coming back into focus. He sat up right and look a long look at Jess. “Are you sure you’re not a therapist? ‘Cause somehow I feel better, plus that’s like, the most I’ve ever heard you speak.”

Jess couldn’t help it, he laughed, but he didn’t let it bloom so it died quickly on his tongue. “I’m sure.”

“There’s the strong silent man, I remember. Got worried for a second there,” Logan laughed, patting his arm a little too hard, but Jess didn’t flinch. “You’re a good man, Mariano. A damn good man.”

“I think you said that already, multiple times.”

“I’m drunk, let me ramble and profess my undying love to you.”

Finally, Jess stood, stifling a yawn behind his hand. God, he was getting old. Was it even ten o’clock? “I think we should get back out there, maybe you and Ricci can bond. She dated a girl two years ago when the two of you weren’t talking—that’s when she came out to the family. Her exes name was Juliana. They were very in love, they only ended because Juliana switched from Brown to Columbia. It was amicable, they’re on good terms. She’s a safe topic, don’t worry.”

“Juliana,” Logan muttered, nodding along. “Okay, that’s something. Thanks, Jess.”

“Don’t make this a habit. I’m not saving your ass every Christmas.”

Logan grinned that pretty rich boy grin and Jess still felt the need to punch him as he did when they’d first met twenty-seven years ago.

“I’m going to do better from here on out, I promise.”

 

* * *

 

“So, Mom, how are you?” Ricci asked, when she found her mom again later. “I got sidetracked by Dad earlier, I’m so sorry.”

Mom smiled at her, placid and sweet as usual. “You always were a Daddy’s Girl.”

“Yeah, I guess I was,” Ricci said, smiling back fondly. “But we’re not supposed to be talking about me or Dad, I want to talk about _youuuu_.”

“Oh, I’m fine. Been working a little too hard recently according to your father. He says it’s starting to catch up with me, sadly I agree with him. Your mama’s old, Kid.” She pouted and Ricci shook her head vehemently.

“You are not old. You don’t look a day over thirty-two, I promise.”

Mom laughed and it sounded like music to Ricci’s ears. She’d really missed her mom these past few months, her third year at Brown was hard. It felt a lot like her senior year of high school, only ten times worse, and she didn’t have her mommy to climb into bed with and cry to. Maybe she should add ‘Mama’s Girl’ to her list of embarrassing life achievements.

“Flattery will get you everywhere. So, what do you want, babe? Money? Candy? You need me to cover for you for something you did? Your dad’s are much better at that, but I can be a good accomplice.”

Ricci grinned at her mother’s famous Gilmore rant, and took a seat on the edge of the single sofa Mom was currently lounging in. “No, nothing like that,” she said, leaning back so she could lay her head on her mother’s shoulder the way she used to. “I just missed my mommy.”

Mom was silent for a bit, and Ricci knew that meant she was getting choked up. Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard her mom sniffle. “Well,” Mom said thickly, her hand running idly through Ricci’s ponytail, “Mommy missed you, too. I was thinking we could shove your dad and Hayden into one room while me, you and Vivi have a girls catch up night back at the hotel if we’re not absolutely exhausted.”

Guilt gnawed at Ricci’s heart as she pushed herself closer to her mom, breathing in the signature scent of her perfume. She remembered it spritzing it all over herself as a child just before raiding her mother’s closet and pretending to be a news anchor in her parents shared office. Her dad had found her, his nose plugged between his index and forefinger.

 _“I followed the stench,”_ he’d said, and Ricci had pouted, easily insulted back in those days. But Dad hadn’t let her cry, he scooped her up and hauled her ass to the bathroom to take a bath and she’d wound up laughing the whole way there.

“Ric?” Mom asked, drawing her out from the memory. “Does that sound good, or…?”

“How about tomorrow night? Or when we go to Nantucket with Nana and Grandpa? I kind of… promised Dad I’d stay here tonight. He wants to catch up and stuff. He’s trying, so I shouldn’t just cut him off at the kneecaps, right?”

Mom’s hand stilled at the nape of her neck, and Ricci took her bottom lip between her top teeth, ready to chew. If her mom didn’t say something soon, Ricci was bound to start ranting and that was one habit she’d picked up from her mother that she was actually trying hard to break.

“That’s great, actually,” Mom said, finally and Ricci let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “It’s about time you and Logan got back on the same page. This’ll be good, babe.”

Ricci nodded into her mother’s neck, happy with the reassurance. “Yeah. I think so, too.” After a few minutes, Ricci pushed herself up and yanked her mother by the hand to follow, ignoring the way she yelped in surprise. “Come on! It’s been long enough and I really want you to meet Oliver, and he’s got to be around here _somewhere.”_

 

* * *

 

Oliver Ji was pretty certain that he was the luckiest man on earth but that didn’t seem to steel his nerves. His girlfriend was kind, beautiful and understanding. They had a ton in common from favourite authors to music to classical art taste; they’d even met at RISD on College Hill, she was a Brown student taking full advantage of the studio art classes offered to her, and he was just a plain ol’ RISD student himself. They fell together without meaning to. They sat next to each other, asked for the other’s opinions, that led into spending breaks together, and eventually hanging out off campus. It was a natural progression and it’d happened long before Oliver could even make sense of it all. They just clicked.

But that didn’t mean that he clicked with her family. Ricci’s last name was Gilmore, and she’d told him she came from an old, blue-blooded family but that her mother had never raised her in high society. The fact that she was technically a Huntzerberger heir came much later in their relationship, like, _‘My dad is Logan Huntzberger and we’re going to his annual Christmas Eve holiday party tomorrow, hope you don’t mind!_ ’ kind of later.

That’s why for the past hour, Oliver had been hiding out in the bathroom.

The Huntzbergers scared him, especially Odette. She was beautiful, but she had a terrifying quality to her. Her brown eyes were sharp, almost as if she were a robot made for looking for imperfections in a persons craft. One icy look from her and Oliver felt cold to the bone. Ricci said he’d get used to it, but he wasn’t sure if he ever would. It didn’t help that he’d been forced to borrow one of her father’s suits—they were about the same build despite Oliver being a little taller, so it fit okay, but there was something weird about wearing your girlfriend’s fathers clothes.

And then, of course, there was the fact that Oliver had yet to meet Ricci’s _other_ Dad. When she’d first explained, he’d thought she had gay dads, but Ricci said that was a common misconception. The actual truth was much, much more complicated, but from what Oliver could gather, Ricci was closer to her other father than she was to Logan Huntzberger. The icy car ride from the airport only seemed to solidify that.

In the end, it was the prospect of meeting Rory’s other family that got Oliver out of the lavish Huntzberger bathroom with it’s ornate fountain and shiny marble floor. He almost ran into a man a few inches shorter than him, but infinitely more muscular, and thanked his lucky stars that they didn’t make contact. The man turned to look at him, brown eyes narrowed.

“Hey, are you Oliver?” He asked, and Oliver almost swallowed his tongue.

He nodded dumbly. “Yes, sir.” _God, always with the sirs!_

The man before him was handsome, but on a different level than Logan Huntzberger. He was rough around the edges with a slightly dark and sardonic energy. The lower left half of his mouth was crooked, but it was kind of charming, and there were fine lines etched into his forehead and around his mouth yet he didn’t particularly look old, even if he didn’t quite look young, either. Oliver thought there was an immortality to him, a timelessness. His fingers itched for a pen and a sketchbook.

“Good. My daughter’s been looking for you.”

 _Oh!_ “Your daughter? Ricci? Oh my god, you must be Mr. Mariano.” Suddenly Oliver felt dumb. He’d seen this man on Ricci’s cellphone, on her social media, and most importantly, on the back of all the books she had of his. If there was anything Oliver knew about Ricci, it was how proud she was to call New York Times Best Seller Jess Mariano her father. “I’m so sorry it took me so long to put that together,” he said, extending his hand.

Jess shrugged, but there was a smirk on his face that made Oliver feel better and worse simultaneously. “Nice to meet you, Oliver.”

 _Well, at least this one respects my name._ “Same to you, sir.”

“Jess is fine.”

“Okay,” Oliver said, starting to feel comfortable already.

“Finally, I found you!” Ricci called out from behind him and Oliver whirled to face her. She rushed to wrap an arm around his waist and grinned as she gestured to her mom who was standing across from them. “I wanted to introduce you to my mom! Mom, this is Oliver Ji. Oliver, this is my mom, Rory Gilmore.”

Oliver grinned at the beautiful, mousy woman in front of him. Rory Gimore was breathtaking, even at her older age. Much like her husband, she had a timelessness about her. Her hair was swept up in some sort of fancy bun that showed off her smooth, blemish free skin, and she wore a blue dress that complimented her eyes very well. He offered her his hand and found himself surprised at her firm her handshake was, but Ricci did always say that her mother fought hard for her own space in a male-driven field. “It’s a pleasure.”

Jess settled in beside Ricci, watching the meeting with a sharp, but warm, gaze.

“Dad! Did you meet Oliver?”

“I did,” Jess said, nodding in tandem with Oliver, “a bit earlier, actually. Ran into him while he was coming out of the bathroom. Figured he looked like your type.”

“Oh really?” Ricci asked, gazing up at her dad with fiery a look. “And what type would that be?”

“Young, mostly. Also, don’t know if you’ve noticed but everyone else here is old and white, and probably your relative.”

Ricci went quiet at that, and a round of applause for Jess went off in Oliver’s head. It wasn’t every day that someone got the better of Ricci. She shrugged in her end and agreed with a short, “True enough.”

They stood around for a bit, migrating closer and closer into the party and grabbing glasses of champagne and napkins full of hors d’oeuvres. Jess and Rory were an affectionate couple; Jess kept his arm around his wife’s waist the entire time, and when there was a lull in conversation he often kissed her on the cheek or fully on the mouth. Ricci seemed to be used to it, as she watched her parents with warm eyes and a heartfelt smile. Jess and Rory seemed just as timeless together as they did apart.

At some point in the evening, Ricci’s siblings joined in. Vivi was young, twelve (“almost Thirteen!” she added), and fresh-faced. She wore a long purple dress that fell past her knees with white stockings and cute shoes with bows on them. Her eyes were brown like her fathers, but she had light brown hair (darker than Ricci’s but lighter than Rory’s) that fell long and had been perfectly curled for the occasion. Vivi leaned against Jess’ side as the night waned, mumbling about how she was sleepy and wanted to go home. Jess stroked the the top of her head and stooped low to plant kisses on her forehead which he rubbed off with his thumb.

Hayden, on the other hand, was very standoffish for a fourteen-year-old boy. He looked like Jess completely, save for his eyes, he had the same blue one’s at his mother, but the shape of them was all Jess. His hair was thicker and curlier than his sisters, it seemed almost unruly. He wore slacks and a dress shirt with no tie and kept the shirt pushed up to his elbows. Hayden rolled his eyes and scowled at everything, but sometimes he got into quiet conversation with his mother or father. Anytime Oliver tried to engage he got a one word answer, a grunt, or a nod of acknowledgement.

“Don’t take it personally,” Ricci said as the party started to wind down and thin out. Her family was over by the door retrieving their coats and bags from the housekeeper. “That’s just Hayden. He’s my dad incarnate, apparently they’re twins.”

Oliver felt his brow crinkle. “Your dad didn’t seem that bad. He’s not really chatty but I could hold a conversation with him.”

“Yeah, well, my Nana says to be thankful that we didn’t know him when he was seventeen. Apparently he stole a beer out of her fridge and then told her she must be fucking my grandpa otherwise she has no reason to be nice.”

“Wait,” Oliver said uncertainly. “He accused her of fucking her own husband?”

Ricci giggled and shook her head. “They weren’t married then, silly.”

“Your family is very confusing.”

“Don’t worry,” Ricci said, leaning in to peck him softly, “things will become clearer the more you come around. You will still come around right? I didn’t scare you off?”

Oliver took a deep breath and exhaled with the slow shake of his head. “You almost did for a minute. The Huntzbergers are a little terrifying… But the Gilmore-Mariano’s are pretty cool.”

“Yeah, I think so too. C’mon, I’ll walk you home.”

“Wow,” Oliver said, laying a hand to his heart, “such a gentlewoman.”

Ricci shoved him forward a little, giggling as he stumbled. “How’s that for gentle?”

Oliver rolled his eyes, and Ricci grinned in response.

“Hey, you know what I just realized?” He asked her, getting in line for the coatcheck. “I never met your brother, Max.”

Ricci shrugged, noncommittal. “He rarely leaves his room during these things. He’s probably playing xbox or something. I bet he came down for twenty minutes and then trudged right back upstairs when his mom wasn’t looking. But, you can meet him tomorrow if you really want to. How about Christmas Brunch with the Huntzbergers?”

“Is that a real thing?”

“Odette will use any excuse to have Brunch. I’ve only ever done the Huntzberger Brunch once myself, honestly.”

“And was it fantastic?”

“Oh, straight up _magical_.”

Oliver took her hand in his. “It’s a good thing Christmas isn’t really on my family’s radar, so I guess I can try it for myself tomorrow, huh?”

“If you’re willing to put up with my crazy family for another day, I certainly won’t complain, _sir_.”

Oliver huffed a laugh before he said, “You’re never going to let me live that down, huh?”

“Not a chance in hell, my friend.”


	2. Last christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ricci's jealous of her parents having a new baby, but they reassure her that she will not be forgotten. Thanks so much for the prompt Silvia89!!

**I. DECEMBER 25 TH 2017**

Rory had never, not once, been a fan of being pregnant. She knew that some women loved it, that they were happy about the morning sickness and the waddling and the nesting, but all of that drove Rory crazy. She remembered being seventeen and disgusted at a pregnant Sookie; eighteen and disgusted by a pregnant Sherry. The feeling had never necessarily gone away. She had a mild phobia of pregnancy. She fought a hard mental battle to bring her children into the world, and it got a little easier the second time around, but she still didn’t _like_ it.

Sometimes Baby Mariano made it a little less unbearable, mainly when he’d kick up a fuss against her stomach when he heard Jess’ voice. He was a Daddy’s Boy already and that made all the gross stuff worth it.

Jess loved Ricci like his own child, and he always had, but even though he’d never said so, Rory was sure that there was some satisfaction in knowing that Jess didn’t have to share this one. He didn’t have to jump through hoops or lie about his feelings. He could love his son without trying to not to love him _too_ much in fear of hurting another man’s feelings, and that alone made this whole pregnancy thing worth it.

There were other downsides of course, namely Ricci, who hadn’t taken the news that she’d be a big sister (again) all that well.

The diner was quiet; it was almost nine on Christmas evening, but Luke had opened up shop just for them. They did this every year, just the three of them. Luke and Lorelai had their own christmas traditions, but her mother had been dragged off to a evening spa trip with Grandma who demanded some alone time with her daughter. "I won't be alive forever, you know," is what she said when Lorelai realized the spa tickets she'd received as a Christmas gift were for  _tonight_. Leaving Luke alone at the house on Christmas just seemed _wrong_ by the time everyone had cleared out, no matter how much he argued.

So now, her step-father was in the back fixing them up some food to eat. "You should be with your family," Luke said to Jess, forcing him to sit down at their table of choice before wandering off to the back.

Jess got up once Luke was done and grabbed a pot of decaf coffee and filled up Rory's cup. He made the typical hot chocolate for Ricci but only took a bottle of water for himself. They sat in silence for the most part, sometimes falling into natural conversation about how nice it was to be back in Stars Hollow (Jess only grunted in response) and it was good to reconnect with family.

Ricci was oddly silent, her head laying down on one of Luke’s tables, her blue eyes glazed over as she stared out into the empty diner. She'd been mopey like this for months, but some days were worse than others. Christmas morning was filled with the typical excitement, but by the time the day started to wind down, Rory noticed Ricci got quiet.

Rory caught Jess’ eye from across the table and smiled sheepishly but Jess didn’t smile back. His face was impassive, but she knew her husband well enough to know that he was worried. He kept a firm hand on Ricci’s back, rubbing small circles in hopes of comforting her. They talked about this often; according to all the parenting books Rory owned (and she had a lot), sibling jealousy during the pregnancy stage—and after—was common. She was trying not to worry about it so much, but Jess had a tendency to internalize these types of things. 

“Come on, Ric," Jess pleaded, "Grandpa's bringing you Santa pancakes for Christmas dinner, isn’t that exciting?”

“No,” Ricci mumbled.

Jess frowned down at her and threw Rory a worried glance, his eyes finally giving way to his true feelings. “Why not? You love having Santa pancakes for dinner in the empty diner.”

“You’re supposed to make me Santa pancakes,” Ricci said, finally pushing herself to sit upright in her chair. Her eyes were misty when she looked up at her father and her bottom lip was trembling in that way it did right before she was about to burst into hysterics. “It doesn’t taste the same if you don’t make it!”

“Oh, baby,” Jess practically sighed, his hand at the crown of her head to stroke her hair. “I’m sorry. Do you want me to go into the back and make them for you?”

Ricci sniffed, loud and gross in a way only a kid could do. A few tears had fallen now and she was swiping at them with the back of her hand as she nodded vigorously. Rory could hear the high pitched squeal building at the back of Ricci’s throat that stopped her from talking whenever she cried.

Jess pressed a kiss to Ricci’s forehead just before he got up from the table and made his way to the back of the diner, calling out for Luke.

Rory moved from her seat to sit beside her daughter, grabbing a napkin to wipe away her tears. She placed the napkin on Ricci’s nose and said, “Blow please.” Once Ricci finished, Rory balled up the napkin and got up to throw it in the trash. When she sat back down, Rory wiped her hands with some wet wipes and moved on to rubbing her daughter’s back up and down. The tears may have stopped, but Ricci’s breathing wasn’t entirely back to normal. She had a tendency to shudder and suck in shallow breaths when on the verge of tears, and if it didn’t get handled quickly it took over an hour to calm her.

“Are you feeling better now?”

Ricci nodded. “Y-yeah.”

“Okay, good. Can we talk about why you’ve been so unhappy all day? Did you not like your gifts?”

“No, I loved my gifts!” Ricci said, almost sounding insulted at the assumption.

Rory smiled, knowing that wasn’t the issue before she’d asked, but kids were tricky—especially Ricci. She’d have to play her cards right if she wanted her daughter to open up completely. “Then what is it, babe? You had so much fun with Doula and your cousins,” technically Ricci didn't have cousins but everyone had taken to calling Sookie, Lane and Rory's kids cousins—they were all practically family, anyway.

Ricci crossed her arms over her chest with a pout, her eyes becoming dull again.

“C’mon Ricci," Rory said, shaking her daughter lightly, "you know you can tell Mommy anything. We’re best friends, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Okay, so what’s wrong?”

Finally, Ricci let her arms drop and she tipped her head up to look up at her mother. “Are you and Daddy going to forget about me when you have the new baby?”

“What?” Rory asked, brow crinkled in confusion; she’d known this was the problem, but her daughter’s bluntness caught her off guard. “Of course not, babe!" She amended quickly. "Daddy and I could _never_ forget about you!”

“Do you promise?” Ricci asked, her big cornflower blue eyes welling up with tears again.

Rory wiped at her daughters eyes with the pad of her thumb. “I promise."

Ricci looked apprehensive at that, but she didn't argue, giving Rory room to continue.

"You’re our first, Ricci, and we’re going to need your help when your brother comes in March. Lots of help. You're are such a big part of this family, you know Mommy and Daddy may have never gotten married if it weren't for you.”

Just then, Jess came out from the back with a plate of pancakes, Rory’s spinach and cheese omelette, his own loaded breakfast bagel, and a smile.

“I made them into a snowman instead,” he said with a wink as he set the plate down in front of Ricci. “Mix it up a little.”

“The bacon is his scarf!” she exclaimed, showing off her one of her missing baby teeth with a big grin.

“Yep,” Jess nodded, “and chocolate chips for his buttons, eyes, and mouth. I even used coloured frosting for his nose since I know you hate carrots.”

Ricci clapped, excitement written all over her face. “Thank you, Daddy!”

“Anything for you,” Jess said, taking Rory’s old seat across the table.

Rory reached over to grab Jess’ hand. “I was just telling our daughter that we’ll need her help when the new baby comes. Isn't that right?”

Jess nodded, sage-like. “Absolutely.”

“Really?” Ricci asked, her mouth full of food. Rory thought to scold her but held herself back.

“Really.”

Ricci swallowed and then looked between her parents; Jess gave her that soft little smile he only reserved for family and leaned forward to brush her bangs out of her eyes. “Your baby brother is going to need a lot of help. When he first comes he’s gonna be all squishy looking and he won’t be able to do much on his own. He’s going to need his big sister to help him navigate the world.”

“Did you do that for Doula?”

Jess’ hold on Rory’s hand tightened a bit at that, so Rory squeezed back in support. “I wasn’t around as much as I should’ve been when Doula was born, but you can’t be like me, okay? I was much, much older when Doula came into the world. I was already living out in Philly, but you’re going to live with us and little baby Jack—“

“Hayden,” Rory corrected. Jess glared at her but she only shrugged back in response; for the most part, she'd taken to referring to their unborn child as Baby Mariano, but anytime Jess referred to him with his choice name, she had to correct him with her own. They'd come to an agreement eventually.

“—and you’re gonna help him learn how to walk and talk and do all sorts of crazy fun things. You’re going to be the best big sister he could ask for.”

“And you won’t forget about me?”

Jess blinked and Rory noted that he seemed just as taken aback by that as she’d been. “Is that what this is all about? How could we ever forget about you?”

“You barely watched me as I opened my presents this morning,” Ricci finally admitted, her voice thick with tears. “You and Mommy were too b-busy opening gifts for the baby and Nana k-kept gushing over how small and cute everything was, and-and this is just like Max all over a-again.“ Her chest began to heave just as the tears fell from her eyes and Rory immediately took to rubbing her daughters back again, mumbling soothing words.

“Aww, baby,” Jess said, moving his chair over from the other side of the table. “I’m sorry.

“Daddy and I were just a little excited this morning too, but we didn’t mean to ignore you,” Rory apologized. “I promise, we didn’t forget about you.”

“We even have a present we didn’t get to give you yet.”

Ricci hiccuped, wiping away her tears the same way she’d done earlier. “W-what present?”

Jess gestured for Rory to pass him his bag, and she leaned down around the table (and her stomach) to reach for Jess’ satchel and hand it over. She watched her husband rummage through it, pulling out a perfectly wrapped rectangular gift box. He placed into Ricci’s awaiting hands and gestured toward it with a nod.

“Open it.”

Ricci tore through the wrapping paper to find a blue velvet jewelry box and her eyes lit up. “It looks just like the one Mommy has at home!”

“It does?” Jess asked, sardonic smirk in place. “I wonder what could be inside.”

Rory leaned down to help her daughter open the box, hopeful for a positive reaction. A shiny, white gold heart pendant on a thin gold chain shone up Ricci, Rory, and Jess from the box.

“Look on the back,” Rory said, lifting the necklace out of the box and into the palm of her hand. “It says ‘RJR 17’ because this is the last time it’ll be just the three of us.” She rubbed her stomach by habit, noting Baby Mariano's excitement as he kicked against her.

Ricci flapped her hands excitedly, beaming at both her parents. “Can I wear it now?”

“Of course.” Jess took the necklace from Rory and gestured for Ricci to turn her back to him. “Hold you hair up for me, baby—Thank you.” Rory heard the clean click of the clasp and Ricci let her hair fall back onto her shoulders. “So, how does it look, Mommy?” Jess asked with a wink.

Rory was thankful they’d chosen the shorter chain as she loved the way the necklace sat just above Ricci’s collar bone. She nodded her approval at her husband and then at her daughter. “Absolutely perfect.”

“I’m never going to take it off!” Ricci claimed, twisting to sit back in her chair properly. She grabbed the snowman’s scarf and shoved it into her mouth, taking a big bite, her typical gusto for Christmas restored.

Jess nodded toward the counter with the swing of his head, and Rory turned to see Luke watching them with arms crossed and a smile. She beamed back at her step-father and pointed toward her empty mug, smiling wider when he rolled his eyes and stomped off to get the coffee pot.


	3. You're a catch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rory and Jess have been skirting around their feelings for each other for quite some time and Rory's ready to push them into new territory before the holidays are over.

**I. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15** ** TH ** **2013 | 8:00AM**

“Are you _sure_ you can’t come with me to Stars Hollow next weekend?” Rory asked, watching Jess get ready for the day.

Jess turned to face her, bare chested, his night shirt balled up in his fist; she tried not to look anywhere but his eyes. “I’m sure.”

The past two and a half years of living together had introduced them to a domestic sort of relationship, but they rarely ever crossed privacy lines. Seeing Jess half naked wasn’t necessarily a rare occurrence, but Rory tried to avoid seeing him that way. Her work friends said she was crazy for not jumping on Jess, they said she had strong will power, but Rory didn’t see it that way. Jess was her best friend. He’d offered her a place to live and a job until she found one on her own (which she did), he helped to raise her daughter and they were practically inseparable, and sure, people at the grocery store thought they were married but none of that meant anything. (Actually, it meant everything, but Rory was trying to be a mature adult now that she had a child. Reckless action could not be her forte).

Jess was seeing someone anyway (“it’s casual”, he kept saying), and Francesca was nice. Very nice. Maybe a little _too_ nice, but that wasn’t any of Rory’s business. Jess was happy, and that was all that mattered in the end.

“Christmas won’t be the same without you,” she said, pouting.

Jess shook his head, his torso now covered up by a black button up. “You’ll survive. I promised Matt and Chris I'd sign this author, she’s playing hard to get but her stuff is incredible.”

Ricci bounded into the room wearing rainbow tights and a large black kids sized The Clash tour shirt that Jess bought her. She stopped short in front of Jess and held out her arms, making grabby hands up at him. Rory watched her roommate bend and scoop Ricci into his arms with a smile.

“Hi munchkin.” He brushed her nose with his and kissed her cheek before securing her to his side. “One more week ’til Christmas. You excited?”

Ricci’s eyes shone with excitement at the word ‘Christmas’ and she nodded, her fingers playing with the hem of his shirt.

“I wish I could be there, sadly I gotta work,” Jess said, always careful not to refer to himself as ‘Dada’ in Ricci’s presence. “But you’re gonna see your Nana and Grandpa Luke and all your cousins. You’re gonna have so much fun you won’t notice I’m gone.”

Rory sighed without meaning to and Jess peered at her, head cocked to the side in question.

“What’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “No, it’s nothing.”

“You can’t really be _that_ bummed that I’m not coming. Even Liz isn’t really torn up about it.”

“Well, good thing I’m not Liz.”

Jess eyed Rory silently before he set Ricci down and said, “Go pick out your shoes. I’m gonna take you and Mommy out for breakfast, okay?” Ricci squealed at the word ‘breakfast’ and ran off to find her shoes shouting about food. When she was gone, Jess stepped closer to Rory and clasped her elbow in his hand. “Okay, tell me what’s going on. You never take digs at Liz, in fact you _hate_ it when I do it.”

“Nothing’s going on, okay? I just don’t think the holidays will be the same without you. And I don’t see why your mother is being so nonchalant about it. I mean, God, you’re her child! Her first born, how could she just not _care?_ And it’s not like it’s a rare occurrence. She does this _all the time_. She’ll complain about how you never call and how you never visit and blablabla, but yet every time she talks about her _favourite guys_ and you aren’t even included! You’re apart of our family, Jess—a big part! Christmas just isn’t the same without you and I’m allowed to be sad that you won’t be there and I’m sad that you’re going to spend your birthday alone.”

Jess smiled at her rambling, soft and sweet and in a way that she wasn’t used to anymore. Her stomach did a little flip but she tried ignored it. Now was not the time to be dealing with her horrible reoccurring Jess feelings. “Okay. But you know If I could come I would, right?”

Rory shrugged a little, knowing she was being childish. “I know. Work is important, I know that…”

“Mhm, and I’ll see you for the New Year. We can even spend New Years Eve together if you want.”

She nodded, not entirely committed to the idea. “Yeah. Okay. Sure.” It all came out a little more sarcastic than she’d planned.

“Rory…”

“Look, Jess,” Rory said, shaking her head. “I appreciate you trying to placate me, but I really don’t know if I want to be a third wheel on New Years Eve. You’re probably going to spend the night with Fran, and if you bring her over Ricci and I will ruin the romantic vibe and you know Ricci gets with strangers an—”

“Fran and I broke up,” Jess said easily, “so, you don’t have to worry about Ricci or third wheeling. It’ll just be the three of us—the so-called _‘family unit_ ’, if you will.”

Rory opened her mouth to respond but Ricci came rushing back in with her shoes and a big grin.

“Put shoes, Dada!” She said happily, shoving them toward Jess. He bent down to scoop her back up and placed her on the bed, gently prying her winter boots from her grasp so he could put them on her feet. Rory moved in close to help, taking Ricci’s left boot and unstrapping the velcro.

“I’m sorry about you and Fran,” Rory said, finally. She was lying, and she was sure that Jess could see right through her platitudes but it was just about all she could offer. “When were you going to tell me…?”

“I just did.”

Rory huffed. “But weren’t you supposed to meet her family on Christmas Eve?”

Jess shrugged a bit, fitting Ricci’s boot to her foot and securing the straps. “Things change.”

Rory bit her bottom lip, unsure of what to say next. If she were honest, she’d have told him this was a good thing. Fran wasn’t the right fit for him, but she knew he’d ask her why she felt that way and she didn’t have a good answer for that. She didn’t want to bask in the alleviation she felt, either; but it was nice to feel her chest so light again.

She wiggled Ricci’s boot on and fixed the velcro, smiling as her daughter smacked her covered feet together. Jess helped Ricci off the bed and rushed her off to the front door to grab her coat. Rory followed, silent still, as Jess handed her Ricci’s coat. Her daughter stood poised and ready, her arms out for the typical outwear dressing routine. Once both arms were through, Rory knelt to zip it all the way up and moved back to let Jess put on Ricci’s hat and mittens.

They walked to their favourite diner in mostly silence. Ricci babbled on in her stroller, which Jess pushed thanks to the build up of snow on the sidewalks. Having a child may have forced Rory into the best physical shape of her life, but her upper arm strength was still minuscule and pathetic—especially in comparison to her roommates. Many people smiled at Ricci as they walked by, and Rory felt a swell of pride in knowing that she’d created such a cute kid.

Once they got to the diner, Jess set off to grab a highchair for Ricci and let Rory settle her in before they took a seat and ordered their usuals. Rory fiddled with her coffee mug, running her finger around the rim of the cup as they sat together in silence. It wasn’t particularly uncomfortable; one of the best things about her relationship with Jess was how they didn’t always need to talk. They enjoyed each others company, even in the silence, but Rory wanted to talk. She felt like she had a lot to say but no words to say it with.

“Do you want to talk about Fran?” Jess asked her, pushing his finished dish closer to the middle of the table.

Rory blushed, knowing that deep down the answer was ‘yes’, but this was a question she should’ve been asking him. Her face burned hotter when she saw his playful smirk forming; she wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug look off his face. “I just thought you liked her is all.”

“She was okay.”

“Just okay?” Rory question, eyebrows drawn together. “Is that why you broke up with her?”

“Who says I broke up with her?”

Rory blinked and she realized she hadn’t considered that maybe Jess was dumped. It seemed practically unfathomable, so she told him so. “Why would anyone break up with you? You’re a catch!”

“You broke up with me,” Jess said, grinning. “If anyone should understand it should be you.”

“I—“ She stopped, mouth slightly ajar. She had no come back, at least no come back that wouldn’t rip open painful wounds.

Jess laughed with the shake of his head. “It was a joke.”

Rory frowned. “It wasn’t funny. I loved you,” she said seriously and Jess stopped laughing.

He didn’t say anything and their old comfortable silence quickly turned awkward.

“I just meant—“

“No,” Jess said, voice firm. “I’m sorry. I was being insensitive. What I did to you back then was wrong.”

Rory shrugged, looking over at Ricci playing with her food in her high chair. “You were a child,” she defended.

“I was eighteen.”

“Yeah,” Rory nodded, her eyes focused back on him, “a _child_. I know we thought we were grown up back then but, God, we weren’t at all. You ran away from home and I slept with a married man, even stole a yacht.”

Jess snorted just before taking a swig of water. “We weren’t the most well-adjusted were we.”

“Kids rarely ever are, Jess. But we got it together eventually, right?”

He hummed in agreement, nodding slowly. “Yeah. We did.”

“And we ended up here—together. Who ever thought that’d happen?”

Jess shrugged a bit, but only with one shoulder. “I did.”

Rory stared at him, trying to identify the strange look she saw in his eye. “Really?” She challenged. “You saw us here, in Philly like this?”

“Not like this entirely, no. But I always knew it’d be you and I, someway, somehow.”

And just like that she felt like she was eighteen and he’s standing in the middle of her dorm surrounded by boxes while proclaiming his undying love for her. What had he said back then? That he knew they were meant to be from the moment he saw her in her room that one night at age seventeen? God, it was all such a blur and yet so crystal clear at the same time, and she wondered how that could be.

“How did you know?” Was about all she could bring herself to ask.

“Just did.”

Rory smiled with the quick roll of her eyes. “You’re an enigma, sir.”

“Is that right?” He asked, laying his elbows on top of the table and leaning in close her. The winter sunlight was playing tricks with his eyes, making them appear almost hazel.

He looked beautiful in the winter with his olive skin and dark hair, a direct contrast against the cold undertones and bright light. She remembered how he looked at the winter carnival and the firelight festival and suddenly she regretted not telling him how she felt back then because now it’s too complicated with her child, baby daddy and his french wife. Besides, she doesn’t know how to explain or where to start, but she’d been trying to get Jess to make the first move somehow.

“That’s right.”

“C’mon,” Jess said, gaze flickering to Ricci who was covered in food. “Let’s go home.”

 

**II. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22** ** ND ** **2013 | 1:00PM**

The apartment was quiet except for the periodic typing on Jess and Rory’s keyboards on the opposite sides of the living room couch. Ricci was down for her afternoon nap, and Jess and Rory were both working away in silence. Rory scrubbed through the notes she’d received from her co-workers on the reporting staff team, making sure she didn’t miss any important details while writing up a series of news stories for Monday evening.

She didn’t know what Jess was doing, either writing or editing, but every time she glanced over at him his face was set up in a scowl. He was a quiet worker, which is why they worked well together, but sometimes he was too quiet. If she ever had an issue with her work, the first thing she did was ask Jess for help, but Jess had a tendency to suffer in silence. When she’d finished checking over the report for the fifth time, Rory quietly unplugged her Macbook from it’s charger and moved closer to Jess until her laptop was sitting on the coffee table and her head was on his shoulder.

“What’cha doing, friend?”

Jess looked down at her with a small sigh before pinching the bridge of his nose. “This manuscript is killing me.”

“Is it bad?” Rory asked, peering up at him.

“No, it’s amazing.”

“Then what’s the matter?”

Jess shook his head. “It’s the manuscript of Sloan, the author I’m meeting over Christmas. She only sent us the first three chapters and they’re brilliant. I’m itching to publish her, but she’s playing so hard to get. I’ve just been rereading her material in hopes that my passion for it would draw her in when we meet but instead I’m just angry that we haven’t signed her already.”

“You just have to charm her,” Rory explained. “Make sure you dress really well, but not too stuffy, she seems like a casual down-to-earth kind of girl from what I’ve heard. Just make sure you look handsome.”

“Somehow I think it’ll take more than my looks to sign this girl.”

Rory smirked into his shoulder. “Is she straight?”

“I don’t know. She implied an attraction to men the last time we met.”

“An attraction to men or an attraction to _you?_ ”

“I’m a man, so both? Maybe? I don’t know, Chris keeps saying sexuality is fluid.”

Rory nodded, pushing herself a little further into him as if trying to stake claim. She almost grinned when he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Just don’t sleep with her, okay? I know you’re single now and everything but…” _I don’t want you to get involved with anyone else._

Jess snorted, and she felt his chest rumble. “You really think I’d sleep with my client?”

“Matt told me you’ve done it before.”

“I was younger and a bit more reckless. I like to think I know better now.”

Rory pushed herself up to get a better look at him, but she stayed close enough to smell his cologne. “Ever think maybe you’re _too_ cautious? Like I’ve rubbed off on you a bit?”

“No,” Jess said, though it came out more like a question and he sounded slightly defensive.

She shrugged, leaning back into him. “Okay.”

He was silent for a few beats before he asked, “Why? Do you think I’ve gone soft?”

“I don’t know,” Rory teased, “have you?”

“How can I prove that I haven’t?”

She sat up again, mischievous grin in place. “You have to do something reckless.”

“Any suggestions?”

Rory shook her head. “Nope, no suggestions. You have to do it all on your own, Mister. If I help you it’s cheating.”

“Fine,” Jess said, eyes dark with intensity. “I can be reckless on my own.”

“Prove it,” Rory egged him on breathlessly, heart pounding. “Do something reckless.”

The words were barely out of her mouth before Jess’ lips were on hers, as soft and pliant as she remembered them being at age twenty-three. She sighed into his mouth, trying her best to keep her smile at bay when his tongue entered her mouth and explored as if he were trying to reacquaint himself. It’d been a while since they’d done this. He shifted, moving his laptop to free space beside him on the couch and pulled her onto his lap until she was straddling him.

He pulled away to break the kiss, but Rory pushed forward and held him captive. She was not going to let him go that easily. Rory took his bottom lip in between her teeth and tugged, eliciting a groan that went straight to her groin. She ground herself into him, sighing at the delicious friction building between her leggings and his jeans.

Finally, Jess broke the kiss, his chest heaving under Rory’s smaller hands. “Is this a good idea?”

“Definitely not,” Rory said. “It's a reckless action, remember? But I don’t care. I’ve been waiting too long to long to do this with you again.”

“How long?”

“Honestly?” Rory asked, searching his eyes. He nodded, and she licked her lips, wondering if it were better to be honest or lie. “Since the first time,” she admitted, blushing.

“So, about six years and we’re only _now_ doing it again?”

“ _Doing_ _it?_ C’mon Jess, you’re a big boy. You can say the word.”

Jess rolled his eyes. “I didn’t mean just sex. I meant acting on these feelings in general. I broke up with Fran because of these feelings, just figured it wasn’t fair to do that to her—she was nice. She deserves someone fully invested.”

“I knew it!” Rory exclaimed, hitting him on the shoulder. “I knew you broke up with her! She’d have to be crazy to ends things with you!”

“Oh, here come the pom-poms.” Jess rolled his eyes.

Rory grinned, leaning in to kiss him again, though she kept it short and sweet. “No. No pom-poms, just me, telling you that you are a great catch.”

“It’s a good thing we’re not riding in a car in a dead town right now,” Jess joked, leaning in to suckle at her neck. “A broken wrist would really ruin the mood.”

Rory moaned her approval at the way he rotated his hips up into hers and squeaked when he flipped them over so she was laying on her back with him hovering on top.

“I have another reckless idea,” Jess said, sliding his hand up the hem of her shirt to cup her breasts through her bra.

She arched her back into his palm and let her eyes flutter close. “Yeah? What would that be?”

“Stay in Philly with me for Christmas.”

“But I already promised Mom I’d be home and you’re working, anyway.”

“Yeah, but I’d rather come home to you than an empty apartment.” He squeezed her breasts firmly before his hands slithered to the small of her back and lifted her up to remove her shirt and bra completely. “If you don’t want to, I understand. But I’d love it if you were here.”

Rory licked her lips the moment her bare back hit the cool leather of the couch. “I’ll call Mom after we’re done here… We better hurry because Ricci will be up in thirty minutes.”

“I can make do with a quickie, but you owe me the real deal eventually.”

“I think I can arrange that,” Rory promised, dragging him down on top of her to finish the job.

 

**2:03 PM**

 

“Mom, hi,” Rory said into her phone from the bathroom, running a brush through the tangles at the back of her hair. She had a happy, post-coital glow, but she was trying her best to center herself and focus on the task at hand.

_“Hey, Babe! This is an off schedule call, I’m not used to being spoiled like this anymore. What have I done to deserve such a spontaneous call from my favourite child?”_

“I’m your only child, Mom and uhm… well, you see, I’m just calling to talk to you about Christmas, actually…”

_“Oh no… That’s the I’m-Rory-Gilmore-People-Pleaser voice, which means you have bad news. You aren’t coming anymore are you? Why aren’t you coming anymore Rory!? Christmas is our thing, you can’t cancel!”_

“Mom—“

 _“Did Ricci get sick? Did Jess die? No, that can’t be it, Luke didn’t say anything. Did Jess_ almost _die?”_

Rory sighed and made her way back into the living room as her mother rambled off a bunch of other excuses that she would find excusable. Jess was settled back on the couch, fully clothed and freshly showered with Ricci playing with a princess doll beside him. The news was on TV, and the weather man seemed to be talking about something that Rory couldn’t hear.

Jess twisted to face her and then nodded toward the TV. Rory watched as the forecast for the upcoming week appeared on the screen, noting horrible freezing temperatures up until boxing day with a large amount of freezing rain moving in. At that moment, she had to think every deity she could think of for placing the perfect excuse right into her lap—it was a lengthy list, but well worth it.

“Mom!” Rory cut Lorelai off, finally. “I can’t make it because the east coast is going to be battered by freak ice storm this week. They’re saying it’ll be too dangerous to make long trips or even head out to the grocery store.”

Lorelai was silent for a moment, until finally she asked, _“Does that Hoodlum keep the fridge stocked?”_

“Yes, Mom,” Rory said, looking fondly at the man who could now, for all intents and purposes, but considered her man. “Jess is a very good provider.”

_“Provider? Wow, you sound more smitten than usual.”_

Rory blushed, suddenly feeling thankful that her mother could not see her. “I am not smitten. Jess and I are friends, you know this.”

_“Yeah, friends who fu—“_

“Mom!”

 _“Okay, okay,”_ Lorelai chuckled. _“But you have to realize that this is just like Gran and her husband. You are apart of the kissing cousins legacy.”_

“I am apart of no such thing!”

 _“Sure, Babe. Whatever you gotta believe to sleep at night.”_ Rory could practically hear her mother’s grin through the phone.

They had this conversation once a week. Lorelai was completely under the impression that Rory and Jess were experiencing the ‘later years’ of their relationship, and though things had definitely started heading in that direction, Rory didn’t think her mother was ready to know about it just yet.

“Anyway. I just wanted to let you know I won’t be able to make it, but maybe we could come up for New Years instead? We haven’t spent that together in a while.”

_“That sounds good, Babe. I can’t lie, I’m really bummed out about this ice storm ruining our holiday, but it’s best you stay safe. You and Jess have a survival kit, right? Just in case the power goes out?”_

“We’re good, Mom. I promise.”

_“Okay, Sweets. Stay warm.”_

“I will.”

_“And tell Ricci I love her.”_

“Definitely.” Rory nodded.

_“Tell the James Dean impersonator that I tolerate him.”_

“Mom,” Rory scolded.

Lorelai chuckled, clearly amused by her own joke. _“I’m just kidding. Tell Jess I said hello and to stay safe, too.”_

“I will.”

_“Okay, hon. I gotta get back to work, but we’ll talk soon?”_

Rory nodded. “Very soon.”

They said their final goodbyes and Rory collapsed next to Jess on the couch, her ear resting against his shoulder. His fingers idly massaged her scalp and Rory closed her eyes, basking in the comfort of Jess’ open affection.

“Everything good?”

“Everything’s perfect.”

 

**III. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24** ** TH ** **2013 | 7:00AM**

“Jess, it’s your birthday and it’s storming outside! I think Sloan will understand if you cancel your meeting.”

“I’m just headed to the coffee shop,” Jess said, buttoning up his shirt. “It’s walking distance.”

Rory pouted at him from the bed, her feet tucked underneath her thighs. “I watched five people fall on their butts outside the window in the span of a minute.”

“I won’t fall,” Jess promised, leaning onto the mattress to kiss her. “I’ll be extra careful, just for you.”

“Or you could cancel like a sane man.”

“Now, when have I ever been sane? I am with you after all.”

“Ha-ha.”

He kissed her again, lingering this time. Rory melted into him, her hands on either side of his face, holding him to her as she nibbled on his lip.

“Mm, you’re trying to distract me,” Jess said, breaking away from her. “Can’t happen. Gotta work.”

“Ricci’s not up yet,” Rory whispered as she stroked his cheek. “We could do a lot in an hour.”

“I’ll be late for this meeting.”

“You’re not going to that meeting. I will call Sloan myself if I have to.”

Jess groaned. “Is this what dating you is like? It’s been a while, I forgot what a despot you are.”

“Yes,” Rory said, rising up on her knees as she hooked her arms around his neck. “I am a very militant girlfriend and you will do as I say or I’ll make your life hell.”

Jess sighed with the shake of his head and a ghost of a smile on his lips. “I guess I’ll text Sloan,” he said, reaching backward for his phone on the nightstand.

She grinned, nimble fingers already put to work on undoing the buttons of his shirt. “Good. Now, come get your birthday present.”

“Gladly.”


	4. Elephant in the room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jess and Rory aren't fighting, but they're also aren't really getting along either. There's a big elephant in the room that they've yet to really talk about, and this is just a quick little fic about them opening up their communication lines again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic gives some insight as to what happened between Logan/Rory/Jess when Ricci was 15 as it takes place during the same year ;) Two chapters today because why not! I'm on a roll!

**I. DECEMBER 21** ** ST ** **2026 | 8:12 PM**

“I feel like my brain has turned to mush because of these finals,” Jess' eldest complained to him, laying her head down on the kitchen table. “Science and math kicked my ass. I am not made for formula’s and calculations.”

Jess snorted but stopped himself from laughing once his fifteen-year-old raised her head to glare at him.

“This is no laughing matter, sir! Your daughter is suffering here! You should be doing everything in your power to cheer her up.”

“Okay, what do you want?”

Ricci sat upright in her chair, an evil glint in her blue eyes. “How about you don’t make me go to London to visit Dad.”

“Ric,” Jess sighed. “We’ve talked about this more than once. You have to go, Logan’s looking forward to seeing you.”

“I don’t care what he wants and neither should you! I don’t want to go! What Dad did to you and Mom this past year was inexcusable and I don’t like him very much right now. In fact, I don’t know how Odette can even stand look at him!”

“She can’t, that’s why she’s in New York at the condo and you and Maximillian are going to London for Christmas this year.”

“Y’know Dad, you really _can_ just call him Max like everyone else.”

Jess shrugged. “They named him something ridiculous, so I’m going to call him by his full, ridiculous name.”

“Does that mean I can call you Jesus?”

“No.”

“But that’s your name!”

“No, that was my _intended_ name. Birth certificate says Jess, therefore my name is Jess.”

Ricci grinned. “Yeah, but Grandma Liz wanted you to be named Jesus and doesn’t that count for something?”

“Y’know… I _was_ going to be a _really good Dad_ and make you salted caramel hot chocolate to cheer you up, but now? I don’t think you deserve it.”

“No! Dad, come on!! Don’t you think I have suffered enough?! Finals—Math, Science— _SUFFERING!_ ”

Jess shrugged. “Maybe that’s your karma for being an evil child.”

“Karma?” Ricci questioned, her face screwed up in disgust. “Now you _sound like_ your mom.”

“Take that back immediately!” Jess demanded, whirling around to point at her.

Ricci giggled. “Now you sound _and_ look like Grandpa.”

“You are _so_ evil.”

“I learned from the best!” She grinned, rising up out of her chair to kiss him on the cheek. “Now, make me that hot chocolate, please and thank you!”

“Fine,” he caved, rolling his eyes. “But if you dare call me Liz again, we’ll be having words.”

“Mhm, sure, Dad,” Ricci said, playing with her cellphone on the table. “You can’t even have words with Mom these days, so I think I’ll take my chances.”

His hand paused near the salted caramel sauce in the cupboard and he turned to look at Ricci with narrowed eyes. “What the hell does that mean?”

“It means you and Mom are fighting and you haven’t done anything about it. We all notice. Even Vivi asked me about it.”

“Your mom and I are _not_ fighting.”

“Sure, sure,” Ricci said breezily, and Jess sighed as he pulled down the caramel sauce and set it on the counter.

“We aren’t.”

“Okay, well you’re not, not fighting either, are you?” He didn’t know how to answer that; he’d asked himself the same question without much of an answer. When he was silent for too long, Ricci muttered a quiet, “That’s what I thought. You guys are too afraid to talk to each other.”

Ricci was wrong about that; it wasn’t that he was too afraid to talk to his wife, it was just that she was always too tired after work to hold a real conversation. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She rarely ate the dinner he made, always choosing to wrap it up for lunch the next day, and she came home super late. But yesterday was supposedly her last late night for the remainder of the year, and today was her final day of work until she was off for the holidays.

He put sauce pan full of milk on the stove and filled Ricci’s favourite mug—a squat, round-ish white and gold mug with ‘I’m on the naughty list’ written on it in gold, reflective cursive—with hot chocolate powder.

“I’ll talk to her tonight,” he promised, looking at her over his shoulder.

Ricci shrugged. “Okay. I hope for all of our sakes that you do. If I have to go to London for Christmas then my early Christmas spent in the U.S better be damn good, and it won’t be if the two of you aren’t getting along. ” With that, she stood up from the table, stretching her arms over her head with a big, wide yawn. “Anyway, I’m going to go terrorize your other children for fun until Mom gets home. Call me when the hot chocolate’s finished, please.”

“Just don’t make Vivi cry,” he called after her. “You know your sister is sensitive!”

“I make no such promises!”

 

**9:12 PM**

 

Rory squeezed a small amount of hand cream onto her palm, rubbing it into her dry, cracked heels. It felt good to be home kind of early for once. Work was running her ragged, especially at this time of year. In the past twenty years that Rory had worked as a journalist, she had never worked this hard. The horrible event of 2019, just after Hayden’s birthday had easily been the most stressful time of her career, but even that seemed pretty tame in comparison to all of this.

Her time at PCCN had ended long ago, and since then she’d done many things with her life. Truncheon had published a book she wrote—an autobiography following the Gilmore line and everything she knew about it. It was more of a tribute to her grandfather than anything else. He’d been gone for years now, but she still carried him with her. Her book covered everything it could, from the start of the Gilmore family (as far back as she could follow), to the story of her and her mother, her and Jess and their children. She’d finished it while pregnant with Vivi and she’d considered it her biggest life accomplishment, until now.

Her eight years of hard work at PCCN had paid off, and even if her ending hadn’t been a happy one it’d led her to working for a smaller, but better news station in Philly where she’d stayed from 2021 until 2026. She’d had her own segment there, too, and with the popularity of her book and public meltdown on PCCN, she’d skyrocketed into a small level of international fame and now she was taking over and revamping an old own news station that’d gone bankrupt and was on the verge of shutting down.

She’d bought the company with the money her grandfather had left her, determined to do something good with it, but taking over Center City 24 was not an easy task. She’d been travelling a lot, meet with some of the top men at Time Warner to iron out the finer details of CC24 and where it was headed.

In the end, she was exhausted and rarely found the time to stay at home with her family these days. This whole thing had definitely put a strain on her marriage; she and Jess weren’t necessarily fighting perse, but there were things they had yet to talk about—not for Jess’ lack of trying. The Logan situation from earlier in the year didn’t help matters, either.

Rory sighed to herself, spreading the extra cream up to her ankles and legs before slipping on a pair of fuzzy socks and heading downstairs.

Jess was sitting on the couch with the kids, his muscular arms spread out across the back. Vivi had her head resting in her father’s lap, but she was awake, her brown eyes trained on Home Alone 2. Hayden was sitting on the floor near Jess’ foot, his knees pulled up to his chest as watched the movie silently. Ricci, was, of course, barely paying attention, more focused on her cellphone than anything else. Their eldest was curled up in the little corner of their L shaped couch with a ton of fuzzy blankets and a cup of hot chocolate on the coffee table.

Rory swept past them all quickly just as Kevin pulled out a wad of cash to show the bell hop. She grabbed a mug for her evening coffee, placing it under the automatic spout of the fancy espresso machine that Logan and Odette bought her for Christmas last year before hitting a few buttons and waiting for it to whirr into action. When it finished pouring, Rory grabbed her steaming mug and ignored the way her fingers burned at the heat. She sighed and tried to consider whether or not she wanted to join the family or sit in the dining room but her eyes caught a stack of bills on the kitchen table and she took a seat.

Jess was good about not opening the mail addressed to her, even if he knew it was a bill they both paid.

Rory rolled her shoulders back and sifted through her belongings, opening up a few pointless things and some important. She placed them into two piles—keep and shred. She sipped her coffee just as Jess came into the kitchen with Ricci’s empty mug. He threw her a small smile, but Rory could tell it was strained.

“How was work?” He asked, placing the dirty cup into the sink. “Everything going well for your first revamped broadcast?”

Rory nodded. “Yeah, for the most part. We hit some snags, but we’re working through them.”

Jess took a seat beside her at the table. “Good. That’s good.”

“Yeah,” she said softly, playing with her wedding ring. There was so much more she wanted to say, but she didn’t know where to start.

They wound up sitting in silence for a bit, but it wasn’t their typical comfortable one.

“Rory, we’re going to have to talk about this eventually.”

She nodded, still not looking at him. “I know. Just… not until the holidays are over, okay? I want the kids to have a good one.”

“They know we’re fighting.”

“We’re not fighting,” she said, turning to look at him then, brow crinkled. “…Are we fighting?”

Jess shrugged. “We aren’t not fighting. We’re barely talking these days.”

“That’s true."

He reached over the table to grab her hand, stopping her from fiddling with her ring any further. “I’m not mad at you.”

“I didn’t think you were,” Rory said, though it felt a bit like a lie.

“Good then.”

“Yeah. Good…”

“Are you mad at me?”

She bit her lip and shook her head. “No. You didn’t do anything.”

“I punched Logan at a party in front of your co-workers… I think that counts as doing something.”

“He kind of deserved it, Jess.”

“I know, but it was still wrong of me. Our children shouldn’t have had to witness that—especially, Ricci.”

She smiled at him, squeezing his hand softly. “You’ve already apologized for this you know, months ago. Ricci forgave you and I forgave you. I don’t think Hayden or Vivi really understood what happened, so they’re less of an issue. It’s a non-issue, Jess.”

“It’s still hanging over our heads though, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” she agreed, suddenly feeling somber again. “I guess it is.”

“So, can we talk about it? Please? We’ve gotten pretty damn good communicating over the years, I don’t want to fuck that up again.”

Rory knew he was right, so she nodded along. “Maybe talking this whole thing out would be a good idea.”

“Where do we start?”

“How about I apologize for my part in all of this? Work has been crazy and I’ve been neglecting you and the kids, and I don’t meant to, it’s just… it’s a lot. I think I’ve shaved at least a decade off my life.”

“You’ve been working hard to make your dreams come true. I don’t fault you for that. I’m not angry, Rory.”

“I know, I know you’re not angry, but I still feel so awful. I get home so late and the kids are usually in bed. This is the first time I’ve been home early in a while, and the first thing I did was go upstairs and take a long bath. I should’ve been watching Home Alone 2 with you and the kids—it’s our tradition.”

Jess squeezed her hand again. “You’re being too hard on yourself. The kids understand, I’ve explained it more than once. They know you’ll be home more soon, and they know you’ve been working really hard.”

“But what kind of mother works so hard she doesn’t have time for her children? My mother was never like when I was growing up!”

“Your mother couldn’t afford to be like that, she raised you alone. You’re not alone, never have been. I’ve been here since the beginning and I’m not going anywhere. Trust me when I say that work won’t be like this forever.”

“I know,” she said, pouting. “But I hate it. Vivi and Hayden are six and eight. They’re so young, and I’m missing it. I’m missing so much of it!”

Jess shook his head and brought his chair in closer to hers, never once letting go of her hand. “You aren’t missing anything, I promise.”

“I missed Hayden’s final in the soccer tournament.”

“His team didn't even win and there’ll be more next season.”

“He was so upset with me, though...”

“He got over it.”

“And I missed Vivi’s winter dance recital, too.”

“I recorded it for you.”

She felt the sting of tears and she sniffed, trying her best to hold them in—she didn’t want the kids to hear her crying. “Why are you being so nice to me? I’m a horrible wife and mother.”

“You are not a horrible wife and mother, Rory. I’m your husband, I love you, and I know you better than anyone, okay? So you have to trust me when I say that I know you're doing your best.”

“Why do you even love me? I’m so awful to you.”

“Oh, stop, you are not awful to me.”

“I convinced you into letting Logan stay here while he was having trouble with Odette, and then I was so blind to the fact that he still had feelings for me that I didn’t think to put distance between us and you… Oh my god, you were so _hurt_. You should’ve seen your face, Jess. It broke my heart.”

“I was confused, not hurt,” Jess clarified, using his free hand to tuck a strand of her damp hair behind her ear. “Besides, I was okay with Logan staying here originally. We were kind of friends by that point.”

“Yeah,” Rory started, sarcasm abound, ”and he tried to steal your wife. What kind of friend does _that?_ ”

“A friend whose hurting and whose always been in love with you?”

Rory sniffed. “Why are you defending him? He tried to break us up.”

“I’m defending him because he’s sad and alone. Plus, it’s Christmas and if Home Alone 2 has taught me anything, it’s that you should be nice on Christmas. Besides, he didn’t succeed, Rory. We’re still together because guess what? We’re indestructible.”

Rory laughed weakly, wiping at the moisture building on her lash line. “You’re being romantic.”

“Maybe,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “I haven’t gotten the chance to be romantic lately. I have a lot of lost time to make up for.”

“I’m not complaining, but you have to let me do something romantic for you too, okay?”

He nodded with a smile. “Okay.”

“So… just out of curiosity, are you saying if you saw Logan again, you’d be fine with him?”

“Nope,” Jess shook his head. “Not saying that at all, but no matter what he did, he’s Ricci’s father and that’s never going to change. Do I like him? Hardly, but I don’t hate him. I know how it feels to be in love with you and not be able to be with you. It sucks.”

Rory sighed and leaned in so her forehead rested against Jess’ cheek bone. “You’ll never have to feel that way again, I promise.” She paused for a bit, basking in their comfortable silence before asking, “Do you think Ricci hates us for making her go to London?”

“She’s upset about it, but she’ll get over it. We talked earlier, and she’s been trying to get out of it but he’s her dad and she loves him. She’s mad at him, but she loves him.”

“You are so mature… How?”

Jess leaned back to kiss her forehead. “Well, you see, I got most of my immaturity out stealing baseballs and garden gnomes and telling this girl that I loved her and then driving away, then I showed up months later and asked her to run away with me to New York. I was a mess.”

Rory couldn’t help the grin that showed off her teeth. “I love you so much.”

“I know. I love you, too,” Jess said, smiling. He finally letting go of her hand as he stood up from the table. “Now, can we please complete our family tradition and watch Home Alone with our three amazing kids?”

“Yes, please,” Rory said, grabbing her mug to follow him out into the living room, her free hand slipped back into his.

Ricci looked up from her phone once they sat on the couch together, Rory tucked into her husbands side. Their eldest smiled at them, relief shining in her eyes, before glanced back down at her cellphone with a quiet, “Thank you, God.”


	5. that weird adult thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jess comes home to Rory decorating the Christmas tree and the kids in total disarray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! It's been a while so I figured I'd post a new christmas fic (:  
> I've got ideas for two more, so look out for those before Christmas is upon us! Don't forget to leave a comment and hit that kudos button if you haven't already!

**SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12** ** TH ** **2020**

The first thing Jess heard when he walked through the door was the sound of his son screaming in terror, Ricci’s evil laughter, and Rory’s shouts for them to cut it out. His wife was hanging ornaments on the Christmas tree set up in the dining room while Vivi sat in her highchair watching in awe. Somewhere out of sight, but definitely on the first level of their new home, Ricci and Hayden continued whatever it was they were doing but much, much quieter.

Jess toed off his boots, placing them in the tray to catch the melting snow before he moved into the dining room to greet his wife and youngest.

“Hi,” Rory said after a quick kiss. “Do you like the tree? I tried to go for a real theme this year—black, silver and red. I was worried it might not look as festive as I’d hoped, but it looks good, right?”

Rory had a real knack for organization and decor, which was something he’d only learned after moving in with her. The whole D.A.R thing had never struck him as being primarily _Rory_ but she was good at this kind of stuff even if she hadn’t fit in with those old yuppies. Their home was a home because Rory made it one with all choice in beautiful, but practical furniture and appliances. She decorated the house in little knick knacks that seemed to be a cross between Lorelai’s quirkiness and Emily’s class in a way that just screamed _Rory_.

“It looks great, Rory. Totally my aesthetic.”

She beamed at him just as Ricci and Hayden started up with their screams again. Her smile disappeared as she groaned, laying her forehead against his shoulder. “They’re going to kill me today. They’ve been fighting all day long.”

“I’ll handle it,” he promised, kissing the top of her head before letting her go.

Vivi squealed once he turned to greet her, spit bubbles forming at her mouth as she banged her giraffe toy against her highchair table. Jess gave her a big smile and lifted her up out of the chair with a kiss before holding her to his hip. He bounced her in his arms as he journeyed off to find the other two.

Much like he thought, Ricci and Hayden were in the living room with television on, though neither of them were paying attention to the cartoon on the screen. Hayden was tucked into the corner by the TV, whimpering with wet eyes wet as his older sister waved a terrifying looking Santa doll in his face.

“Ric!” Jess scolded, placing Vivi down onto her playmat carefully before moving in to comfort his son. “What did we tell you about scaring your brother?”

“Not to,” Ricci mumbled, turning to face him with a dramatic pout; she hid the Santa doll behind her back.

Jess threw her a small glare before hoisting Hayden up into his arms. He moved his sons bangs away from his eyes and kissed his forehead. “It’s okay now, Daddy's got you. Scary Santa can’t hurt you, okay?”

Hayden hiccuped, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hands. He placed his face into the crook of Jess’ neck and breathed fast and quick against his skin as Jess rubbed his back.

“Shhh," Jess soothed, swaying him. "It's okay, it's okay... Ricci promises not to scare you anymore, right Ric?”

“I guess,” Ricci sulked, crossing her arms. “What kind of kid is afraid of Santa, anyway?”

“A kid who has a devil child for a big sister?”

Ricci gasped, stomping her foot against the hardwood. “I am not a devil child!”

Jess grinned down at her. “Yeah, you are. You’re my little monster. You’re even playing a monster in the school play this year.”

“That’s because I’m a good actor,” Ricci said with a sense of pride, no longer insulted.

“I don’t think it’s acting,” Jess teased, swooping down to kiss her forehead. “Will you quit tormenting you brother, now? You’re going to give him nightmares if you keep this up.”

“Not my fault he’s a scaredy cat. Vivi’s not scared, she loves Santa and she’s a _baby_. Oh, oh! Did you know that Mommy took us to see Santa today!? We put the pictures on the fridge. Come see!”

Jess allowed Ricci to pull him by the hand into the kitchen, one side of his mouth twisting up as she showed off the pictures with outstretched hands (Santa doll miraculously gone; probably dropped on the floor somewhere) and a loud, “Tada!!”

The photos were adorable (as they were every year); Ricci was sitting on Santa’s lap with a big grin that spelled trouble. Her long hair had been braided into two intricate braids that Jess did not know the name of and she wore a Santa hat that was too big for her head so the fluff covered her eyes. In the next photo, Hayden looked terrified but he wasn’t crying—yet. Jess mentally congratulated the photographer on their quick action as he could tell from the small curve in Hayden’s lower lip and the mist behind his eyes that he probably broke out into tears just after the photo was taken.

Rory padded her way into the kitchen just as he was about to take a look at Victoria’s photo. She nestled into his side and gently took Hayden from his arms with a quiet groan.

“Someone’s getting big, huh?” She cooed at him just as he stuck his thumb into his mouth. Rory shook her head at him and gently removed it. “What did Mommy say about that, H?”

Their son whined and stuck his face into Rory’s neck. Jess laughed.

“Vivi’s photo is cute,” he said, eyes back on the fridge.

Their youngest sat upright in Santa’s lap, her face angelic and calm, a true juxtaposition to her tufts of curls that refused to lay down flat. Much like Hayden, Vivi was born with an unruly set of hair, though it had been blonde when she was born (something that freaked both Jess and Rory out originally) but it’d gotten significantly darker over the past few years. In the eleven months she’d been out of the womb and into the real world, Vivi’s hair had only gotten thicker, longer and more difficult to tame.

“She’s surprisingly very good with Santa,” Rory agreed.

“What about mineeee?!” Ricci asked, tugging on Jess’ shirt. “Aren’t I cute too!?”

“Absolutely,” Jess said, running his hand through her bangs. “I especially like that smile of yours—you practicing for the play?”

Ricci tipped her head back to look up at him, full pout in place. “You’re mean, Daddy.”

Jess laughed placed a chaste kiss to the top of her head. “I’m just teasing. You’re very cute. We should make copies to send to Grandpa, he’d _love_ this,” he said, turning to look at Rory with a smirk.

His wife bumped him in the shoulder with a smile of her own, though she was trying to smother it. “You, sir, _are_ mean.”

“What?! Luke would _love_ a picture of his grandchildren on Santa’s lap.”

“You know how Luke feels about Santa,” Rory said, setting Hayden down finally, but he only stood need her legs and held onto her pyjama pants.

“How does Grandpa feel about Santa?” Ricci asked innocently, looking between both of her parents.

Jess snorted. “He thinks he’s the embodiment of capitalism and greed—I don’t entirely disagree.”

“Your daddy is a hipster,” Rory explained with a pointed look.

“What’s that?”

Jess bit back another laugh and playfully glared at his wife. “I am not a hipster.”

“Okay, Mr. Analogue.”

“Hey, c’mon! I’ve gotten better at accepting technology in my life.”

Rory grinned, pecking him on the lips. “Only because I forced you.”

“The things I do for love,” Jess drawled sarcastically.

“ _Ohhhh_ ,” Ricci said, nodding as if she understood now. “You’re doing your weird adult thing. This makes sense now.”

Rory scrunched up her brow. “What weird adult thing?”

“Nana said it’s called _flirting_. She said it’s gross because you two do it a lot,” Ricci explained, palms open wide. “She also said I am not to get involved when it happens, so I guess I’ll be going now. Come on, Hayden, I promise not to scare you with Santa anymore.”

Jess watched as their eldest tugged their toddler away by the hand, turning back to his wife the moment they were out of sight. “Flirting, huh?” He asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively in a way that made Rory laugh. “You flirting with me, Ms. Gilmore?”

“That’s Mrs. Gilmore-Mariano to you, sir.”

“Ahh, yes,” Jess said as if he’d just remembered, nodding along. “My mistake… How many years has it been since you married that hoodlum?”

Rory pretended to think, long index finger poised on her chin. “It’ll be four years in April.”

“Wow,” Jess breathed, hand to heart. “That is _so_ very romantic. That punk is a lucky man.”

“I like to think so,” Rory purred, stepping closer. “He kind of looks like you.”

“Is that right?”

“Mhm,” Rory hummed, locking her hands around the back of his neck just before she kissed him.

Jess closed his eyes and pressed her against the kitchen island as he took her upper lip. Rory moaned happily against him before pushing him away.

“Later,” she promised, slipping out from under him. “Now, come help the kids put the star on the tree.”


	6. First of Many

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rory and Jess have their first official Christmas party in Philly and they're dealing with a lot of things--a son whose just gone off to college, a daughter in her senior year, and their eldest back at home getting her life together. Rory's afraid of what this means for the future as all her baby's seem to be leaving the nest, and so Jess surprises her with a little something furry on Christmas Eve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys!! This is the end. It's been a wild ride, and I'm sorry if there are any crazy mistakes in this final chapter, but I just wanted to get it up for you all.
> 
> I hope you all have an amazing holiday. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my readers. Thanks for much for reading and sticking with me through this whole thing.

**DECEMBER 20** **TH ****2036**

Rory had no idea when she got so old.

It felt like just yesterday her son was two, hiding behind her legs and sucking on his thumb. Now he’s eighteen and halfway through his first year of college. He’s a bit taller than his father, not by much, but taller nonetheless, and he looks almost exactly like him. His hair is dark, thick and messy. He wears it cropped short, cleaned up nicely at the edges by a professional barber but curling and wild on top. His eyes are the same shape as Jess’ too, but they’re blue in colour—like hers.

She doesn’t know when Hayden turned out to be such a man, but she’s long decided she doesn’t like it.

“Mom, you’re staring again.”

“I’m _admiring_.”

Hayden rolled his eyes, just like his father. “Okay,” he said and it sounded just like his father, and Rory couldn’t hold back her smile. “The light’s green now, Mom. Green means go, just in case you were wondering.”

This time, Rory rolled her eyes. “Don’t be rude, mister.”

He grinned at her, apologetic yet playful.

They ride the rest of the way home in silence, both humming along to pop songs on the radio—Jess would be so annoyed and that’s only reason for Rory to hum a little louder. She loves her husband, but the idea of getting under his skin is just so fun, even if he’s not there to witness it.

“I made cookies,” Rory said the moment she turned off of the engine, car parked in their snowy driveway.

“Chocolate lava?”

“My specialty.”

In the twenty-five years that Rory's been a mother, she's learned how to do many things, surprisingly baking happened to be one of them.

Hayden smiled, clambering out of the car to grab his dufflebag from the back.

The house was warm and cozy when they entered, the Christmas tree beautifully lit up in it’s blue and silver glory and Rory can hear the sounds of the TV from the living room. There was a loud, high-pitched squeal from the top of the stairs and Ricci practically came tumbling down in excitement, her arms locked around Hayden’s neck once she made it to him.

“Baby brother!!”

“Get off me, Ric,” Hayden deadpanned, but he hugged her back all the same.

“How’s college? Do you have a girlfriend yet? Or maybe a boyfriend? Ooh, how amazing would that be?! Two queer Gilmores, god bless, am I right?! Anyway, have you been drunk yet? High? Who am I kidding, you’ve been high since twelfth grade. But what’s Carnegie Mellon like? I heard it’s pretty, I was almost jealous of you—almost. Did you know Mom made you lava cookies? She never made me lava cookies, you’re totally the favourite, I hate you but I missed you,” Ricci rambled, not willing to let her brother get a word in edge wise.

“Hey, where’s Vi?” Hayden asked Rory, ignoring Ricci completely.

“She’s out Christmas shopping and running errands with your father. He’s hopeless and left it to the last minute—again.”

Ricci snorted. “That’s Dad for you.”

“Damn…” Hayden mumbled, and Ricci threw him a look.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t done any shopping either.”

Hayden held up his duffle. “Does it look like there’s gifts in here, Ric?”

“Hey, for all I know you never went to William Penn, maybe you went to Ilvermorny and Mom and Dad just didn’t tell me because the Huntzberger genes screwed me so I’m just a lowly squib. Your bag has been fitted with that charm Hermione uses in the Deathly Hallows to make her purse like a bajillion times bigger—super handy by the way, I love that spell—so you _obviously_ have a shit ton of presents in there.”

Hayden rolled his eyes again and Rory knew there’d be a lot of that this holiday. “Shut up, Ric.”

“How _rude_ ,” Ricci mock gasped, covering her mouth in shock. “Whose child is this?! Someone collect him immediately.”

Rory held back a laugh by biting her lower lip. “Go get unpacked, babe,” she said to Hayden. “I’m going to call your dad and tell him to bring dinner on the way home, what do you want?”

“Why does he get to choose?” Ricci asked, frowning.

“Because,” Hayden started with a smirk, “I’m the favourite, like you said. And I want Thai.”

“I wasn’t serious! If anyone’s the favourite it is _clearly_ me, and I definitely want Pizza.”

“You're the favourite?” Hayden asked incredulously. “You’re the _mooch_. Twenty-five and back in your old room—sad.”

“I take it back,” Ricci scoffed. “I didn’t miss you at all, you little punk ass.”

“Oh, _I’M_ the punk a—“

“ _OKAY,_ ” Rory interrupted. “That’s enough, you two. Seriously, H, go get unpacked please.”

Hayden huffed, but it sounded more like a laugh and Rory felt her chest deflate in relief. “It’s good to be home,” he said, making his way to the staircase. His blue eyes were shining with laughter and Ricci grinned back at him.

“It’s just not Christmas if I don’t fight with my baby brother,” Ricci said with a shrug once Hayden was gone.

 

* * *

 

Being back at home for the first time in months felt weird. Liberating, but weird.

He’d almost forgotten entirely what his room looked like, and in some ways it felt like it didn’t even belong to him anymore—though his memory foam mattress and full gaming desktop were much appreciated. In a way, college had made him feel more thankful for the various things that he’d left behind, including his parents and sisters. It was almost hard to imagine that he’d once been itching to get out of this house, yearning for the real freedom that came with college, but there was something nice about eating a real dinner and having a _real_ room.

Back on campus, Hayden usually ate alone, and if he wasn’t eating alone then he was eating with friends in a loud cafeteria that didn’t necessarily allow for intimate conversation—not that any of his friends were worth having intimate conversation _with_. He had shallow things in common with his friends (aka floor mates) and he got along well enough with his roommate but as it stood Hayden kept more to himself than anything.

He’d never been like Ricci and Vivi; he wasn’t necessarily popular in high school nor did he have a ton of friends growing up. His mom always said that he took after her in that regard but that he had the same attitude as his dad in that he could care less about being cool; give him a book and a quiet place and he’s more than happy. But, even though he’d always taken to being a loner, he’d missed being in the constant company of his family.

“So, what’s college like?” Vivi asked, taking her place beside Ricci at the dinner table; her and Dad had gotten home just a few minutes earlier with some Thai food. “Is it fun? Ricci keeps saying it’s better than high school.”

Hayden shrugged, loading his plate up with a few crispy chicken wings before adding on his pad thai. “It’s okay.“

“You have to give me something here, H. _‘It’s okay’_ is so lame, it almost sounds like you’re not enjoying it!”

He smirked at her. “You’ll be in college next year. Just wait ’til you experience it for yourself.”

She pouted. “But I don’t want to wait.”

“Anyone ever tell you that you’re impatient?” Dad asked her, placing a chaste kiss on top of Vivi’s head. “You skipped ahead a year; you’re a senior in high school when you _should_ be a junior. You’d think you’d be happy that you have less time to wait.”

“But it still feels so _loooooong_ ,” Vivi whined and Dad chuckled.

“Well, I,” Mom started as she came into the dining room from the kitchen, her hands full with chopsticks and forks, “am happy that you won’t be leaving me until next September. All my kids are leaving the nest and I don’t like it.”

“I’m still here, Mom,” Ricci said, batting her long eyelashes.

Dad snorted. “You’re the one who _shouldn’t_ still be here, Ric.”

“Nah, I’m doing you guys a solid by taking care of you in your old age. Besides, the animal shelter would be lost without me.”

“We’re not that old,” Dad said drily.

Mom kissed Dad’s cheek as she placed the utensils down on the table. “We’re pretty old, Babe.”

“Fifty is the new thirty, Rory.”

“Fifty- _two_ if we want to be accurate,” Ricci corrected sweetly.

Dad glared at her. “Shut up.”

Ricci laughed ruefully and Vivi rolled her eyes.

“Stop picking on our parents,” Vivi said. “They feed us.”

“Shit, you’re right. I apologize sincerely.”

Hayden watched as Dad leaned over to flick the side of Ricci’s head and he smiled down into his pad thai as the hysterics continued.

By the time dinner was finished, the five of them piled into the living room to watch Home Alone 2, but Hayden was hardly paying attention. They could all recite every line and scene from this movie given how many times they’d watched it together over the years of Christmas past. Dad wasn’t watching either, he and mom were curled up together on one side of the couch, murmuring to one another quietly. Sometimes Hayden caught them mid kiss and he’d quickly look away again. He’d always appreciated seeing his parents so happy and in love, but it got awkward to look at them sometimes.

Somewhere around Marv getting hit in the face repeatedly with bricks, Dad got up quietly from the couch and gestured for Hayden to follow him into the kitchen.

“What’s up?” Hayden asked. “Why the secrecy?”

Dad shrugged. “I just wanted to talk to you away from the girls.”

“About what?”

“Life.”

Hayden stared at his Dad for a beat, brown crinkled. “Okay…”

“So, school is good?”

“Yeah.”

Dad regarded him for a second, nodding in that way that said _I don’t believe you._ “You wanna try that answer again?”

“Dad, I’m fine—really.”

“This is me you’re talking to, H. Not your mom. If you’re struggling I want to know about it.”

“I’m not _struggling_ , it’s just an adaption period. I’m fine, I swear. It’s not even like I’m living in Providence, like Ricci was. I’m in the same state, so why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“You’re not Ricci.”

“I know. In fact, she’s an even bigger baby than I am,” Hayden drawled, rolling his eyes. “Way too attached to you, don’t you think? It’s not healthy.”

Dad sighed, scratching at his beard. “Okay, you can play this off with sarcasm, but I hope you know I invented that. Listen, if at any point you _are_ struggling then I want you to call me.”

“Okay,” Hayden agreed, noncommittal.

“I’m serious, Hayden.”

“ _Okay!_ ”

“Good. Now there’s something else I want to talk to you about.”

Hayden forced back a sigh. “And what would that be?”

“Your mom.”

He shrugged at his dad. “What about her?”

“I’m getting her a dog for Christmas.”

“ _What?_ ” Hayden asked, eyes narrowed in confusion. “ _Why?_ You guys never let us have dogs growing up. Why does Mom get one?”

“Because, you heard her at dinner, she’s sad about you guys leaving the nest.”

“I thought she was kidding.”

Dad scoffed. “She cried for a week straight when you went off to college.”

Hayden stopped short at that and bit the inside of his lip. He hadn’t stopped to consider that maybe him moving out had been genuinely hard on his mother as well. She seemed to take it a lot easier than then Ricci had left and she’d busied herself with getting everything ready for Hayden’s send off. He’d chalked it up to Ricci and Mom being closer than he and Mom were. Ricci was the first born and both of his parents had spent almost seven years of Ricci’s life with _just_ Ricci. Then he came along, and Vivi two years after that. Raising three kids was a balancing act, Hayden knew that much, so he’d never faulted them for being unable to give each kid extra attention—though they’d definitely tried their best.

“I… definitely did not know that.”

Dad shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “Yeah, well… Vivi cried in the car when we left you on campus, too.”

“Vivi cried?”

“Hard.”

Hayden took a deep breath. “Geez.”

“Yeah. So, anyway. Vivi’s going to be leaving next year, too and she’s been looking at school’s in _Canada_. Your mom’s keeping up a brave face, but the dam’s gonna break real soon.”

“Hence the dog.”

“Hence the dog,” Dad confirmed, nodding.

“Is that also why we’re hosting Christmas in Philly for once?”

“That’s part of it, yeah. Your mom is scared that sooner or later none of you are going to come home for Christmas, so she wants to have one big last hurrah.”

“Why doesn’t she just say that? I think all of us would promise to come home if we knew that’s how she felt.”

“Your mom doesn’t like to seem needy.”

“But she _is_ needy.”

“The neediest,” Dad agreed, famous smirk in place.

Hayden laughed, head dipped low to his chest. “She’s the best though…”

“You should tell her that more often.”

Hayden looked up, catching the serious look in his father’s eye. “Yeah. Yeah, I should… Hey, can I be honest?”

“Always.”

“I’m not adjusting well to college.”

Dad laughed but it sounded sad. “I know.”

“I miss you and Mom, and Vivi and Ricci. I feel homesick all the time. I have friends, I guess, but they’re not _really_ my friends… My classes are great, I love the campus, I just…”

“Miss being at home,” Dad filled in and Hayden nodded.

“Yeah. I miss being at home...”

"Don't worry," Dad said, clasping his hand on Hayden's shoulder to rock him in place. "It'll get easier, and when it's hard I'm just a phone call away and if that's not good enough, then I'll drive the five hours to come see you."

Hayden rubbed the back of his neck. "I think I'll be okay..."

"I know you will. But if you're not, I'm here."

"Thanks, Dad."

"S'what I'm here for."

 

**DECEMBER 22** **ND ****2036**

“Where’s everyone gonna sleep?” Hayden asked, looking around the living room as if it were the only room in their entire house. “I don’t think you guys thought this through properly. I’m not giving up my room.”

“No one has to give up their room,” Jess said, glaring at his son. “Lorelai and Luke are going to take the guest room upstairs, April will take the pull-out couch. Lane, Zach and the twins will be in the basement.”

“What about Grandma and TJ?”

Jess shrugged. “We’re putting them up in a hotel.”

“Ooh,” His eldest said, pretending to shiver. “That’s cold, Dad.”

“They’re fine with the hotel, Ric.”

“Are they though? Are they really?” Ricci asked with a pointed look. “You know TJ’s probably complaining about how you prefer Grandpa over him. He still cries because we don’t call him Grandpa TJ.”

“Sucks to suck.”

Ricci furrowed her brow. “Who taught you to say that? Vivi? You’ve been spending way too much time with her.”

Jess just shrugged.

“Okay, so Grandma and TJ are in a hotel, Grandpa, Nana, and Aunt April are here same with Aunt Lane and Uncle Zach…” Hayden trailed off, no doubt checking off a mental list in his head—he was way too much like his mother. “Oh, what about Grandad, Sasha and Lily? They’re still coming, aren’t they?”

“Yep. Hotel.”

“Yikes,” Ricci said and Jess threw her a small glare.

“Stop that.”

“Your favouritism for your parental role models knows no bounds, Dad.”

“Well, then maybe they shouldn’t have been such shit parents,” Jess quipped back easily.

“Be a good parent and have the privilege of staying in my house…? Sounds about right for you, actually.”

Just then, Vivi poked her head into the living room. There was a splotch of blue paint on her cheek, and Ricci sniggered.“What’cha guys doing?”

“Talking about how you’re the next Andy Warhol.”

Recognition lit up in Vivi’s eyes and her hand flew to her cheek. “I’m covered in paint again, aren’t I?”

“Yeah, babe,” Jess told her, grinning.

“I’ll be back,” she said, stomping up back up the stairs.

“Vivi: the artist, everyone. She’ll be here all week,” Ricci chortled, more to herself than anyone else. “Get it?” She asked Hayden, nudging him. “Because Vivi’s a joke.”

Jess looked over at Ricci, eyebrows raised. “Don’t be mean to your sister. Also, anyone ever tell you that you are _way_ too much like Lorelai? I think it’s gotten worse with age.”

Ricci grinned. “Thanks, Dad!”

“Not a compliment.”

“Oh,” Ricci said, shoulders drooping.

“Still love you though.”

“Well, thank god for that. I was worried!”

Hayden groaned. “Can we focus please?”

“On what?” Ricci asked. “Everything’s figured out.”

“What are the plans for festivities? What’s our Christmas dinner menu? Mom’s perfected baking, but she’s still a shit cook. Sookie’s not coming, is she? Is Grandpa okay with cooking everything? I guess Dad and I could help him… Do we have a grocery list? We also need to make the most out of the time we have. Optimal planning is a must. Also, are the Huntzbergers coming?”

Jess leaned back on the couch with a low whistle. “Breathe, H. Your mom emailed me a copy of her schedule. Do you want it? I didn’t really look at it. It even has everyone who RSVP’d.”

“ _What!?_ You should’ve given me this weeks ago!” Hayden said, sounding offended. “Email it to me right now, please.”

“You got it,” Jess said, leaning forward to grab his tablet off of the coffee table.

 

* * *

 

 “There’s the hoodlum!” Lorelai called out to Jess from the front door. “Come give your favourite mother-in-law a hug.”

“You know I don’t do hugs, Lorelai,” Jess said, leaning against the banister with a smirk.

“You’re too old for the tough guy act, you know. Three beautiful kids made your heart grow three sizes and then they subsequently turned it to mush. You’re a big ol’ softie now, kid.”

Just then, Luke walked through the door carrying all the bags before Jess could quip back. He regarded his uncle with somber eyes, taking in how much he’d aged over the past few months. Hard to believe he was over seventy-years-old now. Luke was still strong and sturdy, but his age was evident in his thinning grey hair and the wrinkles ever present on his face.

“Hey,” Jess greeted, playfully bypassing Lorelai to give his uncle a hug; he patted him firmly on the back before pulling away, Lorelai’s full pout visible in his peripheral.

“You said you didn’t do hugs!”

Jess laughed and turned to face her, opening his arms for her to hug him. It didn’t last long, it never did, but it was nice nonetheless. Age fifty-two and still in total shock that he’d somehow winded up on good terms with _the_ Lorelai Victoria Gilmore.

“Leave the bags,” Jess instructed to his uncle kindly. “Hayden and I will take them up to your room. You guys go sit and relax. We’ve got a massive array of alcohol and the bar cart’s set up in the dining room so feel free to help yourselves.”

“Thanks, Jess,” Luke said, patting him on the shoulder as he went by to the living room. “I could use a beer before April’s plane lands in a few hours.”

“Hey, where are the kids anyway?” Lorelai asked, twisting to face him as she walked. Luke automatically reached out to steady her, but she avoided his grasp. “I expected them to come running into my arms like when they were babes.”

“They aren’t babes anymore,” Jess simply. “But, Ricci and Vivi went out to help Rory do something at the office. Hayden’s probably asleep. Since he got home he’s either been making lists, going over Rory’s holiday schedule slash _improving_ Rory’s holiday schedule, reading, doing _early studying for next semester,_ ” he emphasized that with mock disgust, “or sleeping.”

Lorelai grinned. “So, basically, he’s truly my daughters son, huh?”

“Oh yeah,” Jess agreed. “A total Rory 2.0.”

 

* * *

 

It’d been too long since Rory had seen her mother. They caught up, just the two of them, out on the veranda while wrapped up in thick, fuzzy blankets with mugs of steaming hot coffee. Rory watched the snow fall as she and mother settled into a comfortable silence. She cozied up next to her, laying her head on Lorelai’s shoulder.

“I wish Grandma and Grandpa were here.”

Rory felt her mother’s laugh rather than heard it. “Me too, kid. Never thought I’d say that, but there it is.”

“Do you think they’d be proud of me?”

“Is that even a question?” Lorelai asked, wrapping her arm securely around her daughter’s shoulder. “You’re an internationally renowned journalist. You have three beautiful children—one of them even fills that gross Aryan dream they so desperately were holding onto. You’re happily married with a very beautiful house—five bedrooms and two extra in the basement, I mean, really. You have far surpassed the life I had when raising you, hun.”

Rory twisted to face her mother, lips pursed. “But it’s never been about surpassing you. I’m lucky if I’m even half the mother you are to me.”

“Oh, Rory, those kids adore you and you've been _such_ a good mom.”

“They’re all getting so big,” Rory said, settling back into her mother’s arms. “Vivi’s going to go off to college and leave me, and who do I have after that? No one but Jess, really… And I guess Ricci, too, but despite all her jokes I don't think she'll be home for long. She's been making contacts with some old school mates, one of them has a job for her out in New York. I don’t know how you dealt with me going off to Yale, you and Luke weren’t even together then. You must have been so lonely…”

Lorelai shrugged. “I wanted you to spread your wings, babe. I raised you with the idea that you could be and do anything you wanted. Sometimes I wasn’t the best at supporting you, especially when you needed me the most, but you became something even greater than I could’ve imagined. I am so proud, and so are your grandparents, I’m sure of it. Besides, it helped that Yale wasn’t _that_ far away from home.”

“Imagine if I’d actually chose Harvard.”

“Then I definitely would’ve been crying,” Lorelai laughed.

“You wanted me to go to Harvard!”

“I know, but I don’t think I’d actually thought through what that would’ve meant for me. Luckily for me, you chose Yale and I got to see you all the time. But then you went on the Obama campaign and I was crushed.”

Rory blinked away the tears forming in her eyes and she nodded, swallowing thickly against the dry, sticky feeling in her throat. “I know. I was crushed too. Excited to be considered the _real press_ but I was sad to leave you…”

“We gotta let our babies go sometime, huh?”

“But they’ll always come home, right?” Rory asked, keeping her eyes focused on her snowy street in fear of seeing an answer she wouldn’t like in her mother’s own.

“Yeah, babe. They’ll always come home so long as there’s a home to come back to.”

Rory nodded. “Thanks, Mom. I realize this must sound hypocritical when I rarely ever come back to Stars Hollow.”

“You come home every Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, My birthday, Luke's birthday—hell, even the Bid-a-Basket, Firelight Festival though those are more of a you-and-Jess thing.”

She smiled against the curve of her mother’s shoulder. “Did you ever think I’d marry him?”

“Jess? Absolutely not.”

Rory laughed. “Me neither.”

“But I’m glad you did. Almost twenty years of strong, steady marriage, huh?”

“Yeah,” Rory breathed out, hardly able to believe it. “Next year it’ll be two whole decades since I married Jess Mariano. Wow.”

“I guess I was wrong about him from the jump, wasn’t I?”

“I did tell you that you were.”

Lorelai grinned out into the cold, clutching her warm coffee a little harder. “Yeah, you sure did.”

 

**DECEMBER 24** **TH ****2036**

Vivi had never seen so many people in their house at one time.

Sometimes, her dad brought his friends over, but that was rare considering her dad didn’t have very many friends. Uncle Chris and Matthew were nice guys, and she’d grown up around them just as much as Aunt Lane and Aunt Paris, but it was rare to see them for the holidays. They were here tonight though alongside Aunt Lane, Uncle Zach, Steve, Kwan, Aunt Paris, Nana, Grandpa, Aunt April, Grandpa Jimmy, Sasha, Lily, Odette, Logan, _and_ Maximilian.

Vivi had always considered their house to be rather large, but it felt tiny with such a large group of people.

The past two days alone had been hectic. All their guests were supremely fun in their own way, but entertaining them was exhausting for introverts like Vivi.

Vivi considered herself a good socializer, better than either one of her parents; Dad said she’d inherited Mom’s charm and good looks, which explained why “everyone” loved her but she had a dash of Dad’s “cool” indifference toward rigid education and most of his creativity. She wasn’t a writer like most of her family, her skills were primarily visual arts focused. She could talk for hours on end about any type of visual media, but hardly any of the current guests cared about her interests. They asked out of politeness, and Vivi answered, but none of them held the same passion as her for just about any of interests.

She’d only been drunk once (her parents can never find out), but the exhaustion she felt from socializing for two days straight felt a lot like a shitty hangover. And, for that reason alone she stuck close to her parents.

“You okay, Vi?” Dad asked, wrapping a strong arm around her shoulder.

He’d been talking to Logan earlier in a somewhat stiff but otherwise friendly conversation. Vivi had saddled up next to him and nestled herself into his side, watching the two of them converse without saying so much as a word. Logan patted her father on her shoulder before making up some excuse to leave the conversation which Vivi didn’t mind.

She nodded into him. “I’m fine.”

“Overwhelmed?”

“A little.”

“Go upstairs then. Paint a little or draw. Come back down when you’re feeling better.”

Vivi looked up at him and pressed her lips into a thin line. “But we have guests, Daddy… And it’s your birthday, I don’t want to abandon you on your birthday.”

“It’s okay, you can go. I won’t be alone, and you won’t be abandoning me.”

Vivi bit her lower lip and looked down at her feet. “I don’t want to be rude.”

“Vi, please. Don’t suffer for me and your mom, or our guests. If you’re uncomfortable then go. You’re in your own house, I _want_ you to be comfortable in your own house. Just come down before nine, okay? We’re gonna surprise your mom with the puppy then.”

Her heart jolted a bit in her chest. “Ohh, I can’t wait for her to see him! She’s gonna love him.”

“I hope so.”

“She’ll love him even more than normal because you got him for her.” Dad smirked a bit at that, but his cheeks coloured and Vivi grinned at the fact that she could make her dad blush. “It’s true! Mom loves you so much, and every time you get her a gift, it means so much more to her. She told me that once, you know… that you could buy her slippers from Walmart and she’d cherish them forever because _you_ bought them. That’s how much she loves you.”

“Okay, kid. Quit trying to embarrass your old man. Beat it.” Dad let her go then with a reassuring smile that told her he appreciated what she said.

Vivi hugged him quickly, whispering her fifth ‘Happy Birthday’ to him before slipping out of the dining room and up stairs to her room.

 

* * *

 

“So, uh, thanks… y’know, for inviting us,” Jimmy said, scratching at the back of his head awkwardly. “Sasha and Lily were so excited to come out here and see you and the kids… I was, too, of course. I just…” He trailed off and Jess nodded to let him know he understood.

Jimmy had never really gotten a hold on being a good communicator. Things between the two of them were good, kind of. They talked often enough, mostly because Jimmy had been sick and “dying” for a few years now and Lily had ripped him a new one about not calling his father enough. Rory, silently agreed with his step-sister, of course, but she’d never said anything outright. If there was one thing about his wife that Jess loved, it was that she knew when he needed a kick in the ass and when one would just make things worse.

Jess had come to terms with Jimmy after the first big health scare. He and Rory packed the kids up and took them down to California, and since then they tried to visit at least once or twice a year. Both Liz and Jimmy seemed to be better grandparents to his kids in comparison to the shitty parents they’d been to him growing up, and for that he was grateful.

“You don’t have to thank me for inviting you. You’re family,” Jess said easily, taking a small sip of his beer.

“You’re doing well for yourself. This is a nice house you’ve got here… Come a long way from that reckless eighteen-year-old scared of the future.”

“Yeah,” Jess agreed. “A real long way.”

“I’m proud of you. I know I have no right to be because I had no hand in making this come about, but… I’m proud of you.”

“You did,” Jess said, turning to face him with serious eyes. “You did have a hand in making this come about. I’m not about to thank you for abandoning me or anything because that really fucked me up more than I care to admit, but I know if you _hadn’t_ … I wouldn’t be the man I am today. I wouldn’t be so vehement about making sure I’m here every waking moment for my children, for my _wife._ I didn’t have a dad growing up and that taught me a lot. It was hard, and I wanted you there, but you _not_ being there?” He shrugged, raised his beer bottle into the air, and let the gesture speak for itself.

Jimmy ducked his head and nodded. “I get it.”

“Okay.”

“You’re a good man.”

“I try to be.”

 

* * *

 

Vivi tip-toed out of her room once she heard a car pull into driveway, but she didn’t descend the stairs until she saw who entered the house.

“There’s my handsome little guy!” Grandma Liz shouted; Vivi could tell from the red flush to her cheeks that she’d been drinking, which meant there was a real chance she’d ruin Dad’s birthday. TJ looked downright exasperated behind her, and Aunt Doula seemed bored though her eyes lit up when she caught Dad’s eye.

Aunt Doula made a drinking gesture and pointed to her mom behind her back, rolling her eyes. Dad smirked back at her, but he glowered down at his mother.

“Happy birthday, baby,” Grandma Liz slurred, clasping Dad’s cheeks in her own.

“You’re cut off,” Dad deadpanned.

“I haven’t even had a drop yet!”

Dad rolled his eyes. “I can smell it on you.”

Grandma Liz giggled, oblivious to Dad’s anger. “You got me! But the hotel came with complimentary champagne. You picked a good one, baby.” She leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, but Dad leaned back, scowl in place.

Vivi’s stomach dropped and twisted as she watched the interaction. Her dad really didn’t deserve this.

“C’mon Lizzie, let’s get you some water and food, whaddya say?” TJ said, throwing Jess a reassuring smile that seemed to just bounce right off her father.

“Ugh, I’m sorry,” Aunt Doula said once they were gone, but Dad just shook his head.

“You good?”

Aunt Doula shrugged, smiling. “She didn’t start this until I was an adult, so, doesn’t effect me much. I know it’s not the same for you—I’m sorry.”

Dad shrugged, placing an arm around his baby sisters shoulders. “C’mon, lets go find Rory, she’s excited to see you.”

Vivi sighed, pushing herself off the banister and making her way back into her room.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, where’d Vivi go?” Rory asked Jess, her free arm wrapped around his hip.

Jess smiled at her, slinking his arm around her waist to pull her in a bit closer. “I sent her upstairs. She was getting overwhelmed.”

“Social anxiety flare up?”

“Yeah.”

“Good call sending her up.” Rory turned to face him, pressing herself up a bit to reach his mouth for a small kiss.

Jess angled his head to deepen it, but pulled away before things got out of hand. “Hopefully she’ll be back down soon.”

Rory hummed in agreement. “How about you? How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay.”

“No social anxiety?”

“Nothing I can’t handle.”

Rory placed her glass down on the table and locked her arms around his neck. “You’d tell me if it was getting too much for you, right?”

“Yep.”

“Okay,” she whispered, kissing him again. “Thanks for letting me do this.”

Jess shrugged. “I didn’t let you do anything. You wanted to throw a party, so you threw one. Almost twenty years of marriage should let you know that you’re not required to ask my permission for anything.”

“Yeah, but, we’re a partnership. So, I wouldn’t have thrown the party if you were seriously opposed to it.”

“I know,” he brushed his nose over hers.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too. I have a surprise for you by the way. Ricci and Hayden are out getting it, we’re not actually out of dry ice.”

Rory cocked her head to the side, those beautiful blue eyes narrowed in confusion. “Wait… Jess, no. What kind of surprise? It’s your birthday! I shouldn’t get presents on your birthday, and besides we said no presents between the two of us this year!”

“Oh, please,” Jess said, rolling his eyes. “I know you got me a present. Multiple presents, actually.”

“No I didn’t,” Rory retorted, voice cracking; over twenty years of living together and she still couldn’t lie to him. Jess smirked, eyebrows raised in question. “Okay, fine!” She caved. “I got you stuff, but it’s _birthday_ stuff.”

“If you say so.”

“ _You_ weren’t supposed to get _me_ anything this year!”

“Well, then that would be mighty unfair now wouldn’t it?”

His wife opened her mouth to argue just as the alarm on his cellphone went off in his back pocket, and Ricci, Hayden and Vivi made themselves present in the living room. Jess nodded toward them with the flick of his chin, and Rory twisted around in his arms to look at them. He grabbed Rory’s wine glass from the table along with a fork and gently tapped the two together to get everyone’s attention.

He cleared his throat once everyone’s eyes were on him and the room quieted down, but he kept his eyes on his wife and kids.

“Hello, everyone. Thank you all for coming to our first—and probably last—holiday party,“ A people laughed at that, but Jess continued on. “Next year, we will be seeing our youngest, Victoria, off to college and my wife and I have both been feeling a bit down by the idea that this house we bought together will be empty soon.”

Ricci mouthed, _“You’ll always have me,”_ at him and Jess rolled his eyes.

“And so, to make up for the fact that our children will be leaving us behind to start lives of their own, I decided to surprise my wife with another child of sorts.”

Rory spun to look at him then, confusion written all over her face.

“He’s a lot fluffier and not quite as eloquent as our _actual_ kids, but I think he’s loveable all the same. Rory, I would like to introduce you to our new baby—our furbaby.”

Vivi leaned over to take the lid off of the box and a pair of fluffy, white ears poked out and the crowd went wild. Vivi giggled and reached in to pull the Shiba Inu right out and show him off in all his glory. Rory clasped her hands over her nose and mouth, her eyes shining with tears as she and the other women (save for Paris) squealed at the cute animal in front of them.

“Oh my godddd,” Rory cried, rushing forward to hold the puppy. His tail was wagging as she hoisted him into her arms and he immediately leaned forward to lick her face. Rory laughed and pulled back, petting the top of his head as she turned to look at Jess. “He’s so cute, babe!”

Jess laughed, wrapping an arm around her to pull her in close. He kissed the side of her head and whispered, “Merry Christmas, Rory.”

 

* * *

 

“So, did you know your father was getting me a dog?”

“Duh,” Ricci said, reaching over to pet the puppy in her mother’s lap. “Vivi and I helped pick him out.”

Mom rolled her eyes. “Who knew you guys were so good at keeping secrets.”

“I did,” Ricci bragged, waving her hand in front of the Shiba’s face as he tried to nip at her fingers. “Do you love him? You totally love him.”

“I do,” Mom said, running her nimble fingers through his soft fur. “He’s so cute. Where’d you guys get him? The shelter?”

“Yeah, someone turned in a pregnant Shiba a few months back, said they couldn’t take care of her anymore. We were looking for fosters and adopters. I told Dad about it, and he said he’d been thinking about getting you a dog for Christmas. I let him come in and look at some and Vivi and I helped him pick.”

“This is the best Christmas ever.”

 

**DECEMBER 25** **TH ****2036**

“I still can’t believe you got us a _dog_ ,” Rory said to Jess on Christmas morning, playing with Tundra’s spiral tail as she laid in bed. “You’re insane.”

“Insanely in love.”

Rory giggled. “That was corny, babe.”

“Comes with the husband and father territory,” Jess joked, propping his head up on his fist to get a good look at her and her dog. “You happy, Rory?”

“The happiest I’ve been in a while, actually.”

“It’s been a good life, right?”

“The best,” Rory agreed, voice soft as she turned to look at him.

“No regrets?”

Rory shook her head. “Not a single one. What’s with all the questions?”

He shifted to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, leaning in to close the gap between them. “Just a conversation I had with Jimmy last night got me thinking... I’m glad you're happy,” he whispered just after breaking the kiss.

“You always knew it would be us.”

“I did.”

“Three kids, a house, two very good careers and now a dog.”

“That white picket fence life, huh?” He asked, laughing. “Never thought that’d be me.”

“Never thought it’d be me, either. In all the plans I’ve made, I never saw my life turning out this way.”

Jess laid his head back against the pillows as he stared up at the ceiling, the scent of Luke’s famous Christmas breakfast wafting up through the vents and the cracks in the doors. He could hear Lane, Zach and Lorelai all talking and if he focused he could hear all some of the kids, too. “If I had to do it all over again, I would.”

“Me too.”

He turned his head to look at her again, blinking slowly in appreciation. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Everything from when we were seventeen and stupid to now.”

“Stop,” she said, voice thick with tears. “I’ve cried enough this Christmas because of you, thank you.”

Still, he didn’t let up. “I mean it, Rory. It’s been an honour to spend twenty years of marriage with you, and an even greater honour to have known you for thirty-six years.”

Rory shook her head and sat up with Tundra in her lap. “No, Jess. The pleasure is all mine, truly. Even when I hated you, I loved you.”

He laughed then, loud and true. “I can honestly say the same.”

She placed her hand on his cheek, and he quietly nuzzled and kissed her palm. “Thank you for a life much better than I ever imagined even with all my meticulous planning and various probable outcomes. Thank you for being so damn unpredictable.”

Jess kissed her palm again, breathing deep before he pushed himself up and held out his hand to her. “Come on, let’s go enjoy the rest of Christmas in Philly.”

“The first of many, maybe?” Rory asked hopefully.

Jess smiled. “Yeah. First of many.”


End file.
